San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Praises Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan Ahead of Return

San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Praises Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan Ahead of Return

DeMar DeRozan returns to the Alamo City once again on Friday, and he's already being showered with praise from his former team in the San Antonio Spurs.

The Chicago Bulls star guard spent three seasons in San Antonio after an end to the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard saga saw DeRozan get traded to the Spurs and Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. But since his arrival and departure from south Texas, DeRozan, the NBA's 36th all-time scorer, has remained a fan favorite for the Spurs. 

Coach Gregg Popovich showed DeRozan more love when speaking to the media ahead of Friday's game.

"He was a great teammate," Popovich said, per the San Antonio Express-News. "You could always depend on him. He was a go-to guy that you knew had the ability to score against most people. But he was always in a good mood and he always had a smile on his face. He was fun to be around."

DeMar DeRozan (left) and Gregg Popovich / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

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.

He's now made two All-Star games since joining the Bulls. The team has a talented roster, but has continued to struggle to make it all work.

Spurs guard Doug McDermott played his first three NBA seasons with the Bulls. He and DeRozan's paths never crossed for the Spurs, but he's playing against him for nearly a decade now.

"A lot of respect for DeMar for the way he carries himself on the court and the way he conducts himself off the court," McDermott said. "Just a true professional. It took a lot of courage for him to come out and talk about mental health the way he did and it adds to the amount of respect we all have for him."

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

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