It was so DeMar DeRozan.
On a well-needed night off for the Bulls forward, the veteran still made his way 137 miles down to the University of Illinois to be there for teammate Ayo Dosunmu, who had his number retired.
An act that didn’t surprise Billy Donovan in the slightest.
“It’s not like it’s right around the corner,” the Bulls coach said. “The selflessness for him to share in that speaks to who DeMar is as a teammate, and because it was out there publicly a lot of people don’t see the investment DeMar makes – and not only DeMar, but the rest of our guys – make inside to each other. That speaks volumes of who he is as a teammate and who he is as a guy.”
DeRozan has been Dosunmu’s biggest supporter since Day 1 of training camp, almost warning the rest of the league of what was coming from the second-round pick. He’s been a mentor, and on Thursday he was one of his biggest fans.
“I was a fan of his before we were even teammates, while he was here, what they did last year and the year before that, so for him to be my teammate, me understanding the importance of getting your jersey retired, it was definitely an honor for me to be here and see him make that happen,” DeRozan told a reporter in attendance.
Just another example of the secret sauce of why Donovan continued to praise his group.
Admittedly a very vague term that gets thrown around far too often, chemistry in the locker room is often debated as being organic and leading to winning or winning leading to good chemistry.
Donovan had his own take on it and why it’s been so important to the hot start by the Bulls this season.
“We’ve just got guys that are really approachable, they’re all really good guys,” Donovan said. “They’re all selfless, and they want to do what’s best for the team. When you have that kind of mentality it’s easy to create chemistry. It’s coming back after Labor Day, it’s spending time, it’s going out to dinners. All those things add up to where you get to know each other beyond just playing in between the lines.
“It’s interesting: I went out with a guy who was working with us in Oklahoma City, I went out to watch the Seattle Seahawks practice, and I talked to [cornerback] Richard Sherman after practice, and I was talking to him about the defense, and I asked, ‘How come you guys were so close and why was it you guys played so hard for each other?’ He said, ‘Because I know every single guy on that defense. I know their wives, I know their kids, and when you have those kinds of relationships you’re playing for that next guy.’ I couldn’t agree anymore with him on that.”
Guaranteed
The Bulls guaranteed the contract of Matt Thomas for the rest of the season before the game with the Wizards, and Donovan said it was an easy decision by his front office.
“There was a period of time where he was clearly out of the rotation, and then with some of these health and safety protocols and different guys going down – I’ve always said this about Matt, he’s always kept himself ready,” Donovan said. “He’s reliable, he puts a lot of work in to keep himself ready, and he’s outstanding shooter, a great locker room guy, great team guy. I’m happy for him because he’s put a lot of work in.”