On Thursday, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan received news that some may have considered incredibly unlikely just one year ago. Per an announcement from the NBA, the 32-year-old will officially be a member of the 2022 Eastern Conference All-Star squad.
Moreover, he’ll be joining the showcase crew as a member of the starting five.
It’s an incredible turn of events for a player whose last All-Star nod came in 2018, and one who certain analytics-minded pundits have pointed to as a prime example of how not to play offense in the modern Association. Nevertheless, the honor is well-earned by DeRozan, who has played at an MVP level this season.
As wild as the All-Star news is for DeRozan, though, the place and manner in which he personally received it may be even wilder.
LaVine Spills the Beans on ‘Flight 8’
As shared by the Bulls via their social channels, DeRozan was made aware of his latest All-Star berth while on the team plane. The club was on its way to one of the baller’s old haunts, San Antonio, for a Friday road bout with the Spurs when fellow Bulls star Zach LaVine jumped on the intercom and made an announcement.
“Attention, attention, attention! This is your captain speaking for Flight 8, Flight LaVine,” he began.
“We’re heading on our way to San Antonio with a big announcement of our boy, DeMar DeRozan, with his fifth All-Star selection this year. All-Star starter. Give it up for our boy, Deebo. Congrats, dog! Congrats, congrats!”
LaVine’s announcement was, of course, met with laughter and applause.
DeRozan Reacts to His Special Announcement
Bulls insider KC Johnson subsequently caught up with DeRozan to ask him about the unique manner in which he learned of his All-Star nod. Clearly, the old vet appreciated the gesture, although he noted that a few of the other passengers on the team plane may not have.
“It was crazy, Zach getting up on the plane,” DeRozan later said. “I don’t even know how he figured out how to do it. But his announcement was definitely funny. Flight 8, whatever he said. It was cool. He woke up a lot of people on the plane, made him turn on the light and everything. So, that was the funny part about it and just getting congratulations from my teammate was dope.”
DeRozan went on to vouch for LaVine as being more than worthy to make a second All-Star appearance in February.
“Nothing against Trae [Young], Trae is definitely All-Star. I felt Zach should’ve been in there as well. You see it from the players’ reaction,” DeRozan said of the player vote. “Nothing against Trae at all. But I wish he would’ve got in there. I think that would’ve been dope to have the both of us in there as starters. No question he’ll be in there next week. But as far as starters, that would’ve been something cool. But even if we were starters, there’s a chance we probably wouldn’t even have been on the same team. But that would’ve been dope to out there with him starting.”
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