Last offseason, many expected DeMar DeRozan to sign with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers -- considering DeRozan was born and raised in Compton and played his college ball for USC. DeRozan opted instead to sign with the Chicago Bulls. So far, it seems like he made the right decision. While the Lakers continue to struggle without LeBron, the Bulls are finally good again and there is a real belief that this team is going to go far in the playoffs.
Despite fans and critics calling the 32-year-old guard 'washed,' DeRozan is proving to still be a very effective player, showing that against the Lakers Monday night -- dropping 38-points in a 121-103 victory.
After the game, DeRozan addressed the 'washed' comments, saying it gave him a huge chip on his shoulder and was just added motivation for him to prove everyone wrong this season.
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"I can go down the list of just being counted out, being looked over," DeRozan said. "So many chips that are on my shoulder that I carry. And just wanting to be a winner and wanting to enjoy this ride. We can't play this game forever, so I want to get as much as I can out of it. [...] I never looked at age as being an issue. I never looked at it. People put the age limit on everything, and I never did. The way I worked, the way I take care of my body, the way I prepare, I knew what I was capable of doing. I just took different roads the last couple years of playing basketball, trying to do the right thing, figuring it out."
The win marks the first Bulls victory against the Lakers since 2016. Chicago also defeated the Clippers Sunday night, finishing their trip out to L.A. with a sweep of both teams. DeRozan had another stellar scoring night Sunday, dropping 35 points.
Monday night was also a homecoming game for Lonzo Ball, who like DeRozan, is born and played his college ball in the city of angels. Ball was on fire, knocking down seven 3-pointers, and finishing with 27 points. Ball believes the team still has a lot of work left to do but says the Bulls are one of the top teams in the NBA right now.
"I think we are one of the top teams in the NBA," Ball said. "Obviously, we still have a long way to go, a lot to improve on. But we're moving in the right direction."
Chicago now sits at 10-4 which puts them in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Ball had a ton of praise for DeRozan, backing him up and calling him one of the best players in the league.
"I think a lot of people counted him out saying he's on the back end of his career, but this is probably one of his best years that he's had in the NBA," Ball said. "I've always known what type of player he was. I don't know how he got kind of lost in the shuffle in San Antonio, but he's one of the best players in this game and I think he's going out there and proving it every night."
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