“He spoke in codes and it was on you to figure it out” – DeMar DeRozan reveals he learned his footwork from Kobe Bryant, says Kobe Bryant advised him to watch soccer and cussed him for making wrong moves
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has left his imprint on a number of current stars. That includes Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan. Throughout his time in the NBA, DeRozan has been vocal when it comes to his admiration of the legendary Lakers shooting guard.
After blossoming into a rising star with the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan spent a number of years as one of the focal points of the San Antonio Spurs organization. That would eventually turn into DeRozan suiting up in a Chicago Bulls uniform, which has been a match made in heaven since. In his first year as a part of the Bulls franchise, DeRozan was nothing short of spectacular. He went on to post averages of 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
DeRozan has built a reputation around the league as a midrange assassin, due to his impressive footwork. Speaking recently on an episode of "The Old Man & The Three" podcast, DeRozan talked about how Kobe Bryant played a huge role in helping him see how he could improve his footwork on the NBA court. DeRozan even went on to joke that Bryant "spoke in codes."
"Oh that was Kobe. The footwork element, that was countless times of getting cussed out by Kobe about trying to do something the right way. So all that came from him just his analogies and this metaphors where he used to say certain things to me, I didn't understand probably to a year later after he told me something. He spoke in codes and it was on you to figure it out.
But a lot of most I want to say 80 percent of that came from him, um you know he was one of the first ones that made me start paying attention to f***ing soccer like look how they run how they do this how they you know what I mean it's like I've never played soccer, why? He just said, just watch it. And over time you start to understand a lot of stuff he talked about you know so from the footwork aspect I got the majority of that from Kobe.
DeMar DeRozan looks to continue to shine with the Chicago Buls in 2022-23
Throughout the 2021-22 NBA season, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan continued to turn heads with his performances on the court. Although the Bulls found themselves dealing with numerous injuries throughout their season, DeRozan continued to put the team on his shoulders.
It's always fascinating to see where some of the players have gotten guidance when it comes to their ability on the basketball floor. That's just the case with DeMar DeRozan, who talked about his interactions and mindset with Kobe Bryant over the years.
This is why we do the pod. Appreciate DeMar so much for always coming on the show and being Joel best and vulnerable. @DeMar_DeRozan https://t.co/ioWWjGREwD
After an impressive first season with his new team, DeRozan will be eager to continue to show that he has the tools to play at an elite level. Chicago went on to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference last year, due to a string of unfortunate injuries.