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 indeed something worth shouting 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.
She would unleash her deafening cheers when the Raptors – her father’s ex-team – were taking their free throws. Her shouts could even be heard during the ESPN broadcast of the game, becoming a topic of discussion. The Raptors managed to sink 18 out of 36 free throws in their season’s final loss.
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 happy I did it.”
Toronto’s 18-for-36 performance was their worst of the season from the foul line.
During the Raptors’ free throw attempts, shrieks could be heard from DeMar DeRozan’s daughter, Diar.
“In general, it wasn’t a great night for us in terms of free throws,” said Pascal Siakam from Toronto.
The Bulls have made it to a critical game against Miami this Friday night. If they win, they’ll proceed to the playoffs and face No. 1 Milwaukee in the first round of the East playoffs, which will begin on Sunday.
Diar’s dad has confirmed that she will not be going to Miami, which is good news for the Heat.
“DeRozan said no, she has to return to school.”
