The Bulls have become experts at celebrating the past, which is wise because there’s not much to celebrate in the present.
West Coast luminaries Kendrick Lamar and Nipsey Hussle were playing on the speaker near the Kings’ locker-room before the game Sunday, and fans wore No. 11 jerseys throughout the United Center.
Forward DeMar DeRozan returned to the UC for the first time since joining the Kings in a three-team sign-and-trade last offseason and scored 21 points in their 124-119 victory.
During a timeout in the first quarter, the Bulls honored DeRozan with a video tribute of his time with the team. DeRozan said coming to Chicago in 2021 enabled him to rediscover his joy.
‘‘I just remember the first meeting I had with [Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas] and [general manager Marc Eversley], they said, ‘Come here and just be you,’ ’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘For that to translate to me being an All-Star, to doing all the incredible things I did here, it just shows that if you just stay with something, it’ll repay you. It gave me a renewed ambition coming back here.’’
DeRozan left an indelible mark — on and off the court — during his three seasons with the Bulls. Coaches and players lauded his midrange efficiency, clutch factor and leadership, but it’s the person DeRozan is that made the most lasting impression on the franchise.
‘‘He invited me to his home for almost a whole summer,’’ forward Patrick Williams said. ‘‘Him allowing us to be integrated into that part of his family, so often you have great vets — I’m thankful for the ones I’ve had — but it’s different when you get a chance to be integrated in somebody’s family and spend time in their house.’’
DeRozan helped Williams and guards Coby White and Dalen Terry grow as they navigated the challenges of being a young player in the NBA. He affectionately calls the young guys his ‘‘sons,’’ so he enjoyed hearing about the impact he had on those players.
‘‘Every time I chilled or did anything with those guys, it was genuine,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘I didn’t even care about basketball. I just wanted them to be great individuals, first and foremost, and understand that you are going to have a lot of ups and downs emotionally and mentally. You’ve gotta find an even keel to be able to sustain so much.
‘‘To see them grow, mature — even me talking to them now — it means the world to me because the respect will forever be there.’’
Thoughts of ‘‘what-if’’ will always be there when discussing DeRozan’s tenure with the Bulls. After the knee injury to guard Lonzo Ball in January 2022, the franchise never pivoted away from the trio of DeRozan, guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic. Instead, Karnisovas decided to try to augment the core with minor free-agent signings, and the Bulls toiled in mediocrity.
With LaVine and Vucevic playing at an All-Star level and Ball back this season for the first time since his injury, the ‘‘what-if’’ question is even more pronounced.
‘‘Without a doubt,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘It gives you that thought because that’s why we came here all together. But it didn’t go as we expected it to go.’’
DeRozan’s legacy in Chicago, however, is secure. He was durable, clutch and professional during his time here.
‘‘The first moment I came here, I tried to give my all to this organization [and] to the city, and it showed,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘You can’t fake it when you genuinely put everything into representing the Bulls.’’