Chicago Bulls player DeMar DeRozan’s nine-year-old daughter, Diar DeRozan, was escorted out of Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday due to severe online threats. The threats were sent after the Bulls’ 109-105 win over the Raptors in a play-in game. The NBA alerted the Bulls of the threats, and Diar was led to the team bus with her father by Bulls security.
After the incident occurred with DeMar DeRozan and his daughter many fans on Twitter labeled the Raports fanbase as the “worst fanbase” in the league!
Raptors having the worst fanbase in the league pt. 1 million
— محمد (@Mo_Tamanna) April 15, 2023
DeMar DeRozan, who played for the Toronto Raptors from 2009 to 2018, had a productive game, contributing 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the win.
However, Diar’s loud screams from the courtside during Toronto’s free throws drew attention from the ESPN broadcast and made her the subject of viral Twitter posts. The Raptors missed 18 of their 32 attempts from the stripe, resulting in their elimination from the playoffs for the second time in four years since their 2019 title.
Despite the online threats, Diar was unharmed, and her father expressed gratitude for the NBA’s cautionary measures. “As long as she was there with her father, I wasn’t worried about anything happening! It was just a precautionary measure, and I appreciate that,” DeMar DeRozan told Chris Haynes of NBA on TNT and Bleacher Report.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety of players’ families in NBA arenas. United Airlines offered to fly Diar to Miami for the Bulls’ play-in finale against the Heat on Friday, but her father confirmed that she would not attend the game as she needed to return to school.
This is not the first time that a player’s family has faced threats. In 2019, Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, received death threats after her husband’s team lost to the Houston Rockets in the playoffs.
In 2020, Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, was also subjected to online harassment during a high school basketball game. The NBA has taken measures to address the issue, but incidents like this serve as a reminder that there is still a long way to go in ensuring the safety and well-being of players and their families.
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The Clutch Factor: DeMar DeRozan Nominated for NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year Award, Daughter Diar Makes an Impact in Bulls’ Play-In Game
Diar Derozan, The nine-year-old gained attention for screaming during the Bulls’ game against the Toronto Raptors in an attempt to put off their players during free throw attempts, which seemed to have worked as the Raptors’ free throw percentage was their worst of the season.
Following her impact, there were clamors for Diar to attend the Bulls’ next game against the Miami Heat for a spot in the playoffs, but her father was keen to stress that she would not be traveling down to Miami as she had school.
United Airlines offered to pay for the flights down to Miami so she could attend, but DeRozan confirmed on Friday that Diar would not be at the game as she was back in Chicago for school. This will make the Bulls’ game against the Heat a tougher proposition.
DeRozan is known for his clutch performances and is averaging 4.7 points per instance in clutch situations this season which ranks fifth in the league. In a clutch situation, which is defined as a game with a margin of five points or less with five minutes or less to play, he has been shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and close to 90 percent from the charity stripe.
He will be facing stiff competition from Heat’s Jimmy Butler and Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox for the Clutch Player of the Year award. The Bulls will need DeRozan to continue his clutch performances if they hope to make it to the playoffs and face the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
DeMar DeRozan, the Chicago Bulls star, is one of the finalists for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award ahead of their play-in game against the Miami Heat on Friday. Jimmy Butler and De’Aaron Fox are among the other finalists for the award. DeRozan has earned the nickname “The King of the Fourth” due to his clutch performances throughout his career.
