DeMar DeRozan, after facing the Bulls for the first time since his departure: "Chicago is my 2nd place, but Toronto is the 1st place"
The shooting guard of the Sacramento Kings holds a special affection for his former team, although nothing compares to his first love in the NBA
DeMar DeRozan played against the Chicago Bulls this past Sunday for the first time since leaving the team and joining the Sacramento Kings during the 2024 offseason. The guard spent three seasons with the 6-time NBA champions and built his reputation as one of the best clutch players in the game.
However, DeRozan still holds the Toronto Raptors in the highest regard with his nine seasons with the franchise at the start of his career before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard.
"Toronto will always be number 1, first and foremost," DeRozan said, smiling. "But I have to put Chicago in second place because mentally, from the space I was in after being traded. San Antonio helped my career a lot. But mentally, I was going through a lot of personal things.
"I remember the first meeting I had with the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas and General Manager Marc Eversley. They told me, 'Come here and be yourself.' For that to translate into being an All-Star, into doing all the amazing things I did here, just shows you that if you stick with something, it will reward you. It gave me a renewed ambition coming back here."
DeRozan's Love for Chicago
The Bulls were one of the NBA's best stories during DeRozan's first season before an injury to Lonzo Ball derailed his season.
"From the moment I got here, I tried to give it my all for this organization, for this city. And I think it showed," DeRozan said. "You can't fake it when you really put everything into representing the Bulls. I've embodied the culture of Chicago, everything. I think when people see that, you get a genuine reaction in return."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, DeMar DeRozan, tras enfrentarse a los Bulls por primera vez desde su salida: "Chicago es mi 2º lugar, pero Toronto es el 1"