© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
DeMar DeRozan receives a one-of-a-kind ball celebrating his 20,000-point milestone
Chicago Bulls' wingman DeMar DeRozan is one of the most unique players in the history of the NBA. The Compton native started his career as a 20-year-old high-flyer before becoming a midrange maestro. DeRozan has eschewed the three-pointer throughout his career, yet he's still managed to rack up over 20,000 points.
In honor of this incredible feat, the basketball company Wilson created a one-of-a-kind ball celebrating DeRozan's accomplishment.
Special commemorative ball
Only 50 players in the NBA (54 if you count the ABA) have scored over 20,000 career points. And so, when DeRozan reached the milestone on October 28th in a game against the San Antonio Spurs, Wilson created a special commemorative ball in his honor. The ball, which is emblazoned with the words "DeMar DeRozan 20K", is a tribute to the Bulls star's incredible achievement.
DeRozan received the ball from head coach Billy Donovan after Tuesday's team practice. He received applause from his teammates, with reserve big man Andre Drummond remarking, "That's a lot of points."
However, Alex Caruso's quip near the end of the video is hilarious, as he tells rookie Dalen Terry that he has "19,996 to go" before he can reach DeRozan's record. To be fair, Caruso is mistaken as Terry has 19,991 to go before he reaches 20,000 points, as he has already tallied nine points in his eight-game career.
Moving up the ladder
At the moment, DeRozan already has 20,203 points to his name, putting him in 48th place on the all-time scoring list. He only needs 205 more points to surpass Joe Johnson.
Of course, number one on this distinguished list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has 38,387 points. On his heels is LeBron James, with 37,311.
