DeMar DeRozan's daughter goes viral during Play-In game
When the Raptors were shooting free throws, Diar DeRozan’s shouts would come.
TORONTO (AP) — Diar DeRozan wanted to skip a day of school. Her father grudgingly went along with the plan.
As it turns out, the decision was worth making a fuss about.
The 9-year-old daughter of Chicago guard DeMar DeRozan stole the show at the AT&T Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night with shrieks from the stands that went viral and quite possibly played a role in helping the Bulls defeat the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in an Eastern Conference elimination game.
When the Raptors – her father’s previous team – were at the free throw line, her piercing screams would ring out. They were so noisy that they even became a topic of discussion during the ESPN broadcast of the match. In their season-finishing defeat, the Raptors scored 18 out of 36 from the line.
Raptors season FT%: 78.4%
Tonight: 50% (18-36)Instant Chicago legend. pic.twitter.com/V9Al6yjpCG
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 13, 2023
DeMVP of the night! pic.twitter.com/HvC5iB1GTE
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 13, 2023
“My daughter called me the other day when she was getting out of school and she just said, ‘Dad, can I come to the Toronto game?’” DeRozan said. “I remember her going to all the Toronto games when she was a kid and I almost said no because she’s in school back home. But she kept asking. She was just adamant about coming to support and I said, ‘All right, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.’
“Definitely, I owe her some money,” said DeRozan. “I’m glad I did.”
Toronto had their worst performance of the season from the foul line, with an 18-for-36 showing.
Diar, DeMar DeRozan’s daughter, was heard screaming during the Raptors’ free throw attempts.
“In general, we didn’t have a great night on free throws,” said Pascal Siakam from Toronto.
The Bulls moved forward to compete against Miami on Friday night in a crucial game where winning would secure them a spot in the playoffs. If successful, they would then challenge No. 1 Milwaukee in the first round of the East playoffs, which start on Sunday.
Diar’s dad confirmed she won’t be going to Miami, which is good news for the Heat.
“DeRozan said, “No, she needs to return to school.””
