Bulls’ Demar DeRozan shows off "Forever Toronto" tattoo after toppling his former team Raptors
DeMar DeRozan spent arguably some of the most formative years of his career in Toronto, where he and the Raptors earned the admiration of fans. Although the team didn't capture a title until parting ways with DeRozan and acquiring Kawhi Leonard, DeRozan remains a beloved player in Toronto. While many former players are treated as enemies after leaving a team, DeRozan isn't.
On Thursday night, DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls took on the Toronto Raptors in a highly anticipated Eastern Conference matchup. The game saw the Bulls jump out to an early first-quarter lead before then allowing the Raptors back into the game before halftime.
At the end of regulation, DeRozan had tallied 24 points, six assists and seven rebounds, helping give the Bulls a lift over his former team in a 116-110 victory. The win was a much-needed one for the Bulls (20-23), who currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
Following the win, DeRozan showed some love to one Toronto fan who tattooed an image of him onto his body. In a post made on his Instagram story, he shared the fan's tattoo, which it appears DeRozan may have even autographed for the fan. Check out the post below:
DeMar DeRozan and the unbreakable bond with the city of Toronto
As previously mentioned, DeMar DeRozan spent arguably the most formative years of his career in Toronto. After one season at USC in college, where he averaged 13.9 points per game, the Toronto Raptors selected DeRozan with the ninth pick in the 2009 NBA draft.
From 2009 to 2018, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry were the heart and soul of the Toronto Raptors. During that time, DeRozan notably earned four All-Star selections, while he and Lowry turned the Raptors into true contenders in the East.
By the time he was traded following the 2017-18 season, DeMar DeRozan was the franchise leader in most games played, wins, and field goals made for Toronto. Despite the deal, which took DeRozan by surprise given that he hadn't spoken with Masai Ujiri beforehand, it's all love between DeRozan and the Toronto fans.
Speaking in an interview in 2022 with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine, he opened up on the feeling of returning to Toronto to play against the Raptors. At the time, he made it clear that he and the city have an unbreakable bond, regardless of where he plays.
"It still is [emotional]. The attention .. everything I get from the city is beyond amazing. I created so much to that city, to that country because they allowed me to be me, and I took a part of them with me. It just created a bond that will never be broken."
While he's found his role with the Chicago Bulls, there's still hope among fans that DeRozan will sign with Toronto to end his career there, when the time comes. As we've seen before in the case of Luol Deng and the Bulls, for example, teams will sign players to a one-day contract to retire as a member of the team.