Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Free Throw Shooters Can Now Relax Knowing DeMar DeRozan's Daughter Not Attending Friday's Game

Chicago Bulls player DeMar DeRozan's daughter, Mari, became Internet sensation after distracting Toronto Raptors at free throw line

Shandel Richardson

In this story:

The Miami Heat had more success against the Toronto Raptors this season. 

Instead, they play the Chicago Bulls in Friday's play-in tournament elimination game. The reason? According to the Internet, it's Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan's 9-year-old daughter, Diar. 

She was the star for the Bulls' because of her antics when the Raptors were at the free throw line. Diar screamed every time an opposing player took a shot. It resulted in the Raptors making 18 of 36 foul shots. They lost by four, ending their season. 

Diar became the talk of social media once her identity was confirmed by ESPN. 

"I heard somebody and I looked back and was like, `Damn, that's my daughter," DeRozan told reporters in Toronto after the game. 

He also confirmed Mari will not be attending Friday's game against the Heat because of school. So the Heat have the luxury of shooting free throws in peace as they go for a spot in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

The winner advances to play the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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