demar derozan shoulder tattoo
Stepping into the lead role for the Chicago Bulls can be a tall task for just about anyone in the league. Backed by one of the most passionate fan bases in the league and the history of the house MJ built, expectations are always high in the windy city. With the pressure of building a championship squad, newly minted front-office tandem AKME (Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley) made a flurry of free-agent signings. The most significant of these signings was a three-year $81 million dollar deal for Demar DeRozan.
While many talking heads labeled this the worst free agent signing of the summer, DeRozan has already secured a starting spot in the all-star game (The Bulls first All-star starter since 2017) and has led the bulls to the second best record in the East. Before he was hitting buzzer-beaters in back-to-back nights, DeRozan had to endure more adversity than many will experience in a lifetime.
Born in California, DeRozan grew up in Compton, a neighborhood in Los Angeles notorious for its violence. It was the influence of his late father Frank who helped navigate him away from the streets and into the gym. After an exceptional year at USC, DeRozan was taken as the ninth overall pick in 2009. Even though his hoop dreams of making the league were a reality, there was still plenty of adversity that stood in DeRozan’s way.
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The Toronto Raptors would be the team to draft Demar DeRozan, which proved to be an overwhelming situation for the young guard. Playing his college days at USC, a school just down the road from his hometown, DeRozan never had to worry about being far from home. Upon being drafted, DeRozan found himself farther from home than he’s ever known as Toronto is a little more than a hop, skip, and a jump from Compton. 2, 517 miles away to be exact. The 2009 Raptors roster was littered with vets as well and no one for Demar to really connect with as a 20 year old kid. That would change in 2012 when the Raptors signed Kyle Lowry from Houston and paired one of the greatest bromances the league had ever seen.
The Raptors found great success with the tandem of Lowry and DeRozan in the backcourt, even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015. Any Raptors playoff success would be swiftly derailed by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs’ were so dominant in Toronto during this era that Lebron James donned the nickname ‘Lebronto’. The Raptors, knowing their window was closing, had to make a move. Meanwhile in San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard was refusing to play because of conflicts with the front office. In the summer of 2018 we got one of the biggest Woj nukes ever as it was announced that Kawhi was on the move:
Spurs have agree to trade Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Trade call with league office is starting shortly.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2018
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The Raptors found instant success. Kawhi Leonard led them to their first championship in franchise history in one of the greatest playoff runs of all time. Demar, on the other hand, was nearly forgotten. The Spurs struggled to consistently put up wins despite DeRozan putting up numbers that paralleled his days in Toronto. Unlike his peers, DeRozan never complained, never asked for a trade, he simply just went out and did his job. In the start of 2021, DeRozan would have to face the largest hurdle of his career.
With his father’s health deteriorating, DeRozan would routinely fly straight from the hospital on game days, trying to get as much time in with his dad as he could. Unfortunately in early 2021, Frank DeRozan would pass after three years in the hospital. Demar would finish his contract out with the Spurs and find his new home in Chicago.
Calling DeRozan and the Bulls a good match is an understatement. DeRozan is a key reason why the Bulls are #2 in the East right now. Currently sitting at fifth in points per game putting up 26.4, DeRozan has more than earned his spot as an all-star starter.
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The next time you watch Demar DeRozan play, you’ll probably notice two huge portraits of tattoos on his shoulders. On one side, he has an image of Heath Ledger in the iconic Joker makeup, representing his long battle with mental health issues. On his other arm is a portrait of his late father Frank DeRozan. A symbol of how his father will always be right by his side. DeRozan has clearly found a home in Chicago and I for one can’t wait to see what he can accomplish in the playoffs this year. Without a doubt, the whole city is behind you Demar.
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The tattoo is a portrait of DeRozan’s late father Frank, and it is one of those just perfect examples of ink with substance. DeRozan recently spoke with Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated and he expounded on the inspiration behind the tattoo.
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“It’s just a constant reminder every time I go out there and play that you could see him. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for him, so I owe everything to him, ”
He worked his butt off with everything I ever saw him to provide for the family. Growing up, we didn’t have much. But he always made sure there was a roof over our head and there was food when needed. He was a protector of the family. Just me watching that was everything for me. He taught me how to be a man. Be disciplined. Never complain. You don’t want nobody to feel sorry for you. Understand if you want something in life, you can go get it. He gave me the ultimate confidence and belief in myself. No matter how bad something seems or it could be, there’s always a brighter side to it if you just keep pushing. You just never give up.
The work ethic and dedication has shined through in DeRozan’s consistency, longevity and success over the course of his career. DeRozan is at a point where he may not need to drain another mid-range shot, and he could still be headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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It is tough to make that case definitively, but if he were to add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments this season, it would be much tougher to deny him.
DeRozan is still only 32 years old and feasibly has 3-5 more years left to play in the league. He has always taken good care of himself, never playing in fewer than 60 games over the course of his 13-year career.
When you look at pure scoring, DeRozan already has a decent case. He recently eclipsed 18, 000 points scored in his career. That puts him ahead of some current Hall-of-Famers like Chris Mullin, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash and Lenny Wilkens. Before the end of the season, DeRozan will likely pass five other HOFers on the all-time scoring list: Dave Bing, Julius Erving, Tracy McGrady, Rick Barry and Dolph Schayes.
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Still, the plights of players like Mark Aguirre, who isn’t in the Hall of Fame, might suggest DeRozan won’t make it. Chicago is hoping DeRozan can win MVP and an NBA championship to remove all doubt.
Aside from being a second high-powered scorer, the biggest benefit DeRozan can have on Zach LaVine is more intangible. LaVine is one of the most physically talented players the league has seen, but he needs to continue to learn how to win.
DeRozan’s controlled and deadly approach on the offensive end could be perfect to help LaVine take the next step. Clearly, we can see where DeRozan learned his leadership skills.
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Follow the on Bulls Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bulls-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!Oct 5, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) brings the ball up court against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of a preseason NBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
DeMar DeRozan is one of the more famous players on the Chicago Bulls roster. DeRozan is often a key player for the Bulls alongside other stars like Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine. The 32-year-old DeRozan plays as a shooting guard or sometimes a small forward.