Age is just a number for Bulls veteran forward DeMar DeRozan

Udonis Haslem is 41.

LeBron James, Andre Iguodala and Carmelo Anthony are 37.

P.J. Tucker and Chris Paul? They’re 36.

So when Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan was reminded this past week that he’s getting up there — he’s 33 — he went on offense, which, by the way, always has been better than his defense.

“As long as you take care of yourself, as long as you work, technology is completely different,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘It’s not like I’m Kevin Willis [who retired at 44] out here or anything like that. Shout-out to Kevin Willis.

“I’m just saying, there are so many ways to take care of yourself — physically, mentally, nutrition, the technology that you have for recovery. There are so many ways that you can be effective longer periods of time.’’

DeRozan laughed off the idea that he can’t follow up his All-Star showing from last season, his first with the Bulls, especially with all the work he puts in during the regular season and the offseason.

NBA players love to post their workouts on social media, but DeRozan just loves to work out, usually early in the morning or late at night and always out of view of camera phones.

More important, DeRozan is around enough younger players throughout the league to know how they work out, and, quite frankly, he knows that he puts in more work.

That’s why his attitude is: Why can’t I continue to get better?

“I never put those thoughts in my mind, saying, ‘Oh, I’m going into my 14th year. Maybe I’m slowing down or can’t do this,’ ’’ DeRozan said. “I don’t even think that way. I’m trying to be the best player I can be.’’

It doesn’t hurt that DeRozan is good friends with some of the NBA’s elder statesmen.

In the summer of 2021, DeRozan was hanging out with James, sensing he was being recruited to join him in Los Angeles with the Lakers. It didn’t happen because of the Russell Westbrook move, but it didn’t change the DeRozan-James relationship.

Then there’s Paul, whom DeRozan speaks to often.

“I have a lot of conversations with a lot of guys that are older than me in this league, like Chris Paul,’’ DeRozan said. “This whole age thing that people love to put on people, it’s like, why?

“You look at LeBron going into his 20th year. It’s insane. Same conversation I had with him. I love getting older just to show people you still can get better the older you get.’’

Plus, DeRozan knows if the Bulls are going to get where they expect to be in the loaded Eastern Conference, he’s going to have to get better.

“I love the competitive island that the East is on,’’ DeRozan said. “You have to compete. For me, people get so caught up in the rankings, but you put me in a room with the best, and it brings out the best in me.

‘‘That’s the approach that we have to take this whole season. This is the toughest the East has been since I’ve been in the league.’’

It’s another reason DeRozan can’t even think about his age. The East won’t allow him to.

“As long as I got wheels on this car,’’ DeRozan said, “I’m going to ride it until these wheels don’t work anymore.’’