Chicago Will Miss You, DeMar DeRozan
The future Hall of Famer is taking his talents...somewhere else. Great for him. Lousy for us.
I LOVE IT when DeMar DeRozan does DeMar DeRozan things.
I love it when the Chicago Bulls future Hall of Fame forward backs his man into the paint, fakes left and spins right, then swishes home a nine-footer that barely ripples the net.
I love it when he bounces back from a rough contest with a masterpiece.
I love it when he hits contested jump shots to send games into overtime, then scores a flock of points in said OT to seal it.
Sadly, Chicago fans will no longer get to enjoy Deebo’s Deebo-ness on a nightly basis.
All of which got me to thinking about how DeRozan represents everything that’s good about professional sports. Which got me to thinking about the fact that if you don’t love (or at least hugely respect) Deebo, you don’t have a basketball soul. Which got me to thinking it would be a fantastic idea to wax poetic about some of the qualities that make DeMar one of the NBA’s most impressive, most beloved figures.
1) His Humility
Deebo currently sits 36th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, ahead of Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, and Dwyane Wade. Next season, he should surpass Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, and Ray Allen. In a post-game interview with K.C. Johnson the night he leapfrogged Baylor, Deebo said, “It’s just an honor to be on the list with those greats.”
This wasn’t Bull Durham-esque cliche blather. This was legitimate modesty from a legitimately humble gentleman.
2) His Mental Health Advocacy
In 2018, DeMar revealed via tweet that he suffered from depression.
His candor gave colleagues like Dominique Wilkins and DeMarcus Cousins a safe space to open up about their own issues, which all but blew DeMar away: “I never thought I'd be [discussing] something like this. Hearing Boogie and Dominique talk about feeling and understanding what depression was, being a student-athlete, coming into college, I wouldn't have known what that was.”
Six years later, Deebo continues to walk the mental health walk, creating, producing, and starring in Dinner With DeMar, a You Tube series in which he talks mental health with players past and present.
Seriously, who does that? DeMar, that’s who.
3) His Sneaker Love
DeRozan is a notorious shoe hound — anything Kobe Bryant-related is his go-to — and when he gets to gushing about his kicks collection, it’s hard to get him to stop.
DeRozan is 34 as of this writing, but when it comes to the subject of sneakers, he’s as enthusiastic as a teenager. And it’s charming as hell.
4) His Family
When it comes to how they managed to make professional sports a career, most every athlete gives props to their parents, and/or their partners, and/or their children.
Same deal with DeMar, but coming from him, it’s tangibly sincere, as his love for his family is tattooed all over his body:
Right arm: A portrait of his late grandmother, Barbara, along with the phrase “Blessed One,” the childhood nickname bestowed upon him by grandma.
Right wrist: His mother’s name, Diane.
Left wrist: He daughter Diar’s name, accompanied by a sparrow.
Left shoulder: A portrait of his late father, Frank.
For contrast, here’re a list of my tats:
Left bicep: The cover of my first book.
Left forearm: The cover of my (admittedly crappy) second book.
Right bicep: A rendering of my first upright bass.
Right wrist: A pair of crossed drumsticks from the inner cover of my third book.
I’m a self-promoting goofball. DeMar is a class act.
5) His Midrange Game
When just outside or just inside the paint, dude’s DeMar DaVinci. I could drop a paragraph or two about the majesty of his jumper, but why bother when video compilations are a thing?
Whether on the court, in a shoe store, at a tattoo parlor, or hosting a heartfelt video series, DeMar DeRozan is an undeniable Hall of Famer.
And we’ll miss him terribly.
A version of this article appeared in Chicago Sports Stuff on March 24, 2024.