Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan played for the Chicago Bulls for three seasons, and upon his return to the Windy City, he received a standing ovation and video tribute during Sunday's 124-119 win against his former team. It marked the first time DeRozan played in Chicago since he signed with the Kings in the offseason.
"Stuff like that goes a long way, man," DeRozan said following Sunday's game. "I'm always humbled by any type of appreciation from my time anywhere."
DeRozan landed with the Bulls in the 2021 offseason via sign-and-trade after spending the previous three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. During his time with the Bulls, DeRozan averaged 25.5 points on 49.6% shooting to go along with 5.1 assists.
"It was cool to come back to a place where they loved you, appreciated you," DeRozan added. "My three years here felt like 10. I enjoyed my time here. It was fun. Stuff like that goes a long way. I'm always humbled by any type of appreciation they show."
DeRozan has played for the Toronto Raptors, Spurs and Kings in addition to his time with the Bulls. The 35-year-old didn't re-sign with the Bulls as he wanted to play for a contender at this point in his NBA career.
DeRozan ended up scoring 21 points on 9 of 20 shooting against Chicago, while also dishing out three assists. The veteran small forward scored 11 of those 21 points in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls had hoped that signing DeRozan to team up with the likes of Zach LaVine, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic would lead to postseason success. However, Chicago missed the playoffs in two of DeRozan's three seasons, and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round of the 2022 postseason.