Ever since 1976, only two players over the age of 30 have led the season with most minutes played. The first was LeBron James six years ago, and now DeMar DeRozan did the same this campaign. At 34-years-old, the Bulls star became the NBA athlete with most time logged at 2,984.
According to the veteran, he loves to prove people wrong. “I hate the stigma in terms that 33, 34, 35 is old. I hate that. So I try to just break the stigma of that. Guys can be well into their mid-30s,” he told the press this Sunday.
Despite being in the last stage of his career, he’s still putting up some of his best performances ever. DeMar averaged 23.9 points on 48.0% overall shooting, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds this year.
DeMar DeRozan played 2,984 total minutes this season, per @statmuse.
The MOST minutes by any player in a season in the 2020s. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/91UvaLkPWN
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 15, 2024
Now the Chicago team have the chance to continue their inconsistent season and make it to the Playoffs. After losing last night to the Knicks in overtime, the Bulls finished 9th and will face the Hawks with homecourt advantage in the Play-in tournament.
Despite the ups and downs, their coach is proud of the team. “I told the guys I couldn’t be prouder or feel more privileged to work with these guys every day,” Billy Donovan said. “And the reason I say that is because of things they’ve had to endure this season as a team.”
DeRozan, on the other hand, says the locker room bonded after their bad results. “To be honest, we had some lows that, for me, means the most,” he said. “I ain’t gonna give it away of when, but there was a time it got extremely rough for my part. The bond and the closeness we had after that meant a lot. So even though it was an extremely bad moment, it meant a lot for us to change over the season.
“It’s been a helliva year, lot of ups and downs, lot of frustration. A lot of bad days, a lot of worse days, and a lot of good days. But this group, we stuck together. We stayed resilient,” the guard added. “We tried to figure it out. We didn’t make excuses when we felt like a black cat crossed in front of us or we broke a mirror or something. I’m proud of this group.”
His Bulls teammates praised DeRozan for his dedication and professionalism during this campaign, which served as inspiration
His own teammates in Illinois aren’t surprised he became the NBA leader in minutes played this season, as they are convinced that there’s no match for his professionalism around the league. Coby White explained how his dedication has been a constant source of inspiration for the entire locker room.
“He never complains. He just loves the game. He loves to hoop. And he doesn’t miss practice. He doesn’t miss shootaround. He’s early to everything. Those are the things I notice. He’s always on time. He’s always one of the first ones there. You know how some guys can be. And for him, it’s just his professionalism day in and day out never changes,” said the 24-year-old.
The veteran believes he owes this to himself and his squad. When asked about his 15th season as a professional, DeMar said he simply loves this game too much and never wants to be sidelined.
“I love it. I want to play. I tell Billy all the time, ‘Don’t take me out. I want to play.’ I want to be out there with the guys. I want to feel that challenge. Especially when you realize I’m not going to play for another 15 years, another 10 years. So while I’m here, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I don’t want to shortchange anybody: myself, my teammates, people who come to see me,” DeRozan shared.
