Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan’s 9-year-old daughter faced horrendous online threats for screaming at the free-throw line during the Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors game on Wednesday, April 12.
Several videos showed 9-year-old Diar DeRozan screaming with all her might whenever a Raptors player attempted a free throw. Numerous Bulls fans approved Diar’s tactics in helping her father’s team win.
demar derozan’s daughter screamed every time the raptors were at the free throw line
the raptors missed 18 free throws
the bulls won by 4
everybody say hello to your 2023 play-in MVP
pic.twitter.com/jZ9hPdOP0g— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) April 13, 2023
However, other game watchers disapproved of the stunt and reportedly threatened the child. It’s unclear where the threats were made, but the NBA caught wind of them and sent Scotiabank Arena security to escort Diar to her dad.
Diar’s screaming attempts succeeded, leading the Raptors to miss 18 free throws and the Bulls to win 109-105.
DeMar DeRozan’s daughter, Diar, was escorted out of Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday by Bulls’ security and led to team bus with her father after NBA notified team of severe online threats directed at the nine-year-old, sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 14, 2023
During a press conference after the game, DeMar revealed he didn’t know where the screams came from until he “looked back” and saw it was Diar.
“She went viral… I kept hearing something during the game. I looked back and I was like, damn, that’s my daughter screaming?”
DeMar DeRozan on his daughter’s free-throw line antics during the Bulls’ win over the Raptors ?pic.twitter.com/AoLil5vxTI
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 13, 2023
In an interview after the Bulls’ game against the Heat on Friday, which they lost, DeMar said he didn’t think it would go as far as it did.
“For her, I just keep it within her,” DeMar said. “I try not to let her…she’s only nine. I try to keep it still from a…she’s still a child. I don’t let her get caught up into the outside effects of it. She just came there for one reason and one reason only. That was to support her dad, and she had the most fun with it. For me, I just want to protect that moment for her.”
He continued, “She’s taking it well. That’s what it’s all about. [As] long as we win, that’s all she cares about.”
The Bulls forward added, “(Sic) I never would’ve thought it would’ve went to that extreme that it did. Maybe later down the line, when she gets older, she can look back at it and realize what really happened, but amongst our small inner circle, she definitely feels it.”
This was, undeniably, a cute (one-day) story. After this hard-hitting, investigative questioning, it’s done. Plus, not only is she in school, she has her own game tonight. #hooper pic.twitter.com/Qh1C5140og
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 14, 2023
