DeRozan on Anunoby's fouling habits, anniversary of Kobe Bryant passing

Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan discusses telling OG Anunoby to stop fouling all the time and reflects on the impact Kobe Bryant had on his career.

Video Transcript

- You know these guys pretty well. Especially that last play, you got the [INAUDIBLE] trap. It's about as long a wingspan as you're going to get between the two guys. What was it like trying to deal with that?

DEMAR DEROZAN: You ever been in a corner in a boxing ring and you just try to cover up, try not to get hit? It felt like that. You just got to find an opening and get up out of there as best you can and that's what I tried to do in that moment.

- DeMar, are you aware that tonight was the first 3 that you made since New Year's day, that 3 at Washington?

DEMAR DEROZAN: Really? All right. See how long I can go again without making 3. No, I'm playing.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

DEMAR DEROZAN: No, it wasn't.

- You stopped kind of shooting them a little bit.

DEMAR DEROZAN: No, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't seek out or I don't walk away from games saying, damn, I didn't shoot a 3 or I didn't make a 3. I just go out there and play.

Whatever shots I take for the night, that's the shots I take for the night. But I never be conscious of going into a game saying, I need to shoot and I need to take, I need to make a 3. Or even when I go spans without making a 3, I don't think about it.

- Did you say anything to OG, I think you got them twice in the first quarter with those.

DEMAR DEROZAN: Yeah, I told him, I always tell them, even when we talk on the phone, I tell him just stop fouling. I call him sometimes and just tell him to stop fouling, because I feel like he going to foul me every time he just think about me. So that was kind of like, it was expected, it wasn't no surprise.

- Hey DeMar, I ask this question with respect because I know it doesn't take an anniversary for you to respect and love and appreciate Kobe. But there's a lot of love throughout the league shown for him on this day, on this two year anniversary. Where does your mind go on a day like today?

DEMAR DEROZAN: I mean, you just think about him, his daughter and just everybody that was in a tragedy. You just give the best to their families. But for the most part, when it comes to Kobe, I mean, for me personally, he meant everything to me basketball wise. As a well documented mentor of mine, a friend of mine, someone that taught me a big part of the game and motivated me to have the mentality that I have today.

So just with that alone, that should speak for itself, what he meant to me and what today meant. And it's crazy because two years ago I remember I was playing for San Antonio that same day when it happened. We was playing the Raptors and that night we flew to Chicago so I thought about that this morning. I said, man, how crazy is that, that I'm playing in Chicago now and just played the Raptors the same day. It was just a mind twist when I thought about it earlier, so.

- And you're going to San Antonio tomorrow.

DEMAR DEROZAN: And we going to San Antonio tomorrow. Crazy. I might play the lottery tonight.

- Thank you.

DEMAR DEROZAN: Appreciate it.

- Thanks DeMar.

- Appreciate it.

- Yep, appreciate you.