'One of the Best in the League': Spurs Reflect on DeMar DeRozan Before Bulls Matchup

The San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls clash Friday night as All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan makes his second return back to the Alamo City.

After a four-game road trip that saw them go 3-1, the San Antonio Spurs (3-2) return home to the AT&T Center Friday to take on the Chicago Bulls (3-2). And in doing so, the Spurs will welcome back a familiar face.

DeMar DeRozan posted All-Star numbers as a Spur, with a combined three-year average of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and one steal per contest in 206 game. However, he never received the official All-Star nod during his time in San Antonio.

But in his first year in Chicago last season, he received All-Star honors for the first time since 2018. And right before the All-Star break, he made his highly-anticipated return to San Antonio on Jan. 28, dropping 32 points with six rebounds and eight assists.

San Antonio won 131-122, but as DeRozan returns to the Alamo City once again on Friday, he's already being showered with praise from current Spurs.

"Luckily I got the chance to play with him for one year, so I got to see that up close and personal," Spurs guard Tre Jones said. "The amount of respect he has is all earned. He's a great teammate, he treats everybody the same from top to bottom."

Spurs wing Josh Richardson arrived to San Antonio after DeRozan's departure. But as a seasoned vet in this league, he's become all too aware of who DeRozan is as a person and player.

"He's one of the best players in the league ... I know San Antonio has a lot of love for him for the years he spent here," Richardson said. "His approach to the game is second to none."

Richardson saw DeRozan's success with the Spurs up close during his times in the Southwest Divisiuon with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 season.

"Great player. I've always liked competing against him," Richardson said. "In San Antonio, great player. I remember he hit a game-winner on us when I was in Dallas."

DeRozan will be greeted with a warm welcome once again by the fans and will be able to reunited with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who he has said pushed him like no other has in his NBA career.

"He challenged me to the point of understanding the game in the complete whole," DeRozan said. "Going back to a place that I spent some time, learned so much from, a place that embraced me, wasn't nothing but love. And it was definitely a learning curve for me in my career at a critical time in my career and Pop really helped me a lot in my career."

The Spurs and Bulls tip-off at 7:30 p.m CT.

---

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.