The daughter of Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan sent a message to the NBA that she is the real star of the team — and that message was heard loud and clear.
Nine-year-old Diar went viral after she repeatedly ― and loudly ― screamed when players on her dad’s opposing team, the Toronto Raptors, stepped up to the free-throw line during Wednesday night’s game in Toronto.
Not only was Diar’s screeching loud enough to be heard in areas throughout the Scotiabank Arena, but it may have also aided the Bulls.
The Raptors missed 18 of 36 free throws during the game, making it the team’s worst free throw performance of the season, according to ESPN. The Bulls ultimately defeated the Raptors 109-105.
DeRozan addressed his daughter’s noisy defensive work on the sidelines in a press conference after the game. He told reporters he “kept hearing something” before realizing it was his daughter’s shouts.
“I looked back like, ‘Damn that was my daughter screaming?’” he said, adding that he first made sure she was “alright.”
Diar appeared to make the most of her attendance at the game since it almost didn’t happen.
DeRozan explained that his daughter had begged to attend the game in Toronto and that he finally agreed to allow her to miss a day of school in order to go.
“I’m glad I did. I owe her some money, for sure,” DeRozan joked.
When asked if Diar will return for another game, the Bulls guard responded, “No, she gotta go back to school.”