When he joined the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2021, people were skeptical of DeMar DeRozan’s potential fit. Since then, he’s reestablished himself as an All-Star-caliber player. Even now, at 34 years old, DeRozan is still leading the way in Chicago, and he’s doing so while playing a ton of minutes.
He currently ranks second in the NBA in total minutes played at 1,955, which is just two minutes behind his teammate, Coby White, who leads the league at 1,957. Despite the fact that he’s entering the latter years of his career, DeRozan is not only comfortable playing heavy minutes, he enjoys it.
After the Bulls’ recent loss to the Orlando Magic, he said as much, noting his love for the game.
‘‘I just always love hoopin’; I play all summer for free,’’ DeRozan said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘When you’re playing for an organization and something is on the line, I want to play every single second, minute, opportunity I can. That’s why I pride myself on not missing games.’’
Having a star that enjoys playing every single night is a luxury that not every franchise can lay claim to.
