“If LeBron James is doing what he’s doing, I got hope”: DeMar DeRozan on how he expects to age as a player

A 32-year-old DeMar DeRozan expresses his desire to age like Lakers superstar LeBron James.

In what many believe, the 2021-22 season was DeMar DeRozan’s career-best, even earning him a spot in the MVP conversation. In his first season with the Chicago Bulls, Deebo averaged 27.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG, and was an impressive 50.4% from the field.

DeRozan led the league in mid-range efficiency, making 44.2% of his shots, and became the go-to person come clutch time. Though the Bulls had a couple of bumps in their season, it was a relatively successful campaign. Unfortunately, they were unable to replicate the same success in the postseason.

The Bulls were ousted by the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks in five games. It was a first-round exit for Deebo and his crew, who missed Zach LaVine in the series-clinching game. DeRozan wasn’t his best despite having a 41-point performance in Game Two.

Also read: “DeMar DeRozan is a completely different dude in the playoffs”: Fans criticize Bulls All-Star for going down without much fight on the back of a career best season

Nevertheless, it was a good beginning for the newly revamped Bulls team, with DeRozan leading from the front. Soon to be 33-years of age, the five-time All-Star seeks inspiration from LeBron James when it comes to aging as a player in the league.

DeMar DeRozan aspires to have LeBron James’ longevity.

Though Deebo’s aspirations are not unrealistic, King James is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. The Lakers superstar continues to have spectators in awe with his freakish athletic abilities at 37-years of age. In his 19th season, LBJ was one of the leading scorers in the league, averaging 30.3 PPG.

Now entering his 20th season, James continues to age like fine wine. However, the four-time champion is one of the most hardworking athletes, taking premium care of his body, with reports of him spending close to $1M annually on his fitness.

James has set a new benchmark for athletes with his extended prime. Recently, Bulls forward DeRozan had an interesting reply when asked about how he planned going forward in his career.

“If LeBron is doing what he’s doing, I got hope.”

DeMar DeRozan, with a smile, quips when asked how he expects he’ll age as a player: “If LeBron is doing what he’s doing, I got hope.”

— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) April 28, 2022

Well, DeRozan would have got a better insight into James’ fitness regime had the Lakers agreed to get him on board last off-season. An LA native, Deebo had publicly expressed his desire to play for the purple and gold, which fell on deaf ears.

Also read: “Just watched two guys who should’ve been Lakers -Demar DeRozan and Alex Caruso”: LeBron James receives hate tweet from Skip Bayless for hiring Russell Westbrook instead

As the Bulls enter the off-season, it will be interesting how they improve themselves going forward.