In the city that Michael Jordan turned into a global basketball landmark, a fellow NBA champion has argued that another Bulls icon means more to Chicago than MJ himself.

One of the players who paid tribute to Derrick Rose was Warriors veteran Draymond Green. He reiterated this in the recent episode of his podcast, highlighting Rose’s importance and influence on the city of Chicago adding to the bold claim that Rose exceeds NBA legend Michael Jordan’s impact in Chicago, despite guiding the Bulls to six NBA Championships.

“Listen, with all respect to MJ, I love him. We all wanted to be like Mike but he doesn’t mean more to the city of Chicago than Derrick Rose. That’s just facts,” Draymond stated. “There’s not one bigger person in the city of Chicago than Derrick Rose. Make no mistake about it, you heard what I said. He is everything to the city of Chicago. Derrick Rose stops everything. He stops crime. he can walk around Chicago, no problem. What he means to the city is unbelievable. And to get his jersey retired is well deserved.”

Although it was his opinion, it came across as disrespectful for one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Recently, former NBA Guard Gilbert Arenas also called out Michael Jordan’s struggles at the 1992 Olympics during his time with USA’s ‘Dream Team’.

Derrick Rose has been with the Bulls for eight seasons. This past Sunday was a momentous occasion for the former guard as the Bulls retired his iconic number 01 jersey. It was a day full of love, tributes, heartfelt wishes, and overwhelming emotions for NBA’s youngest MVP. Michael Jordan also sent in a personal video message for Rose.

Forged in Englewood, Derrick Rose started his basketball journey at Simeon as a high school player. He then went on to feature for the Memphis Tigers in college, in his freshman year, he guided John Calipari’s team to the National Championship.

Although they lost, it was enough for the Bulls to acquire him as the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In the eight seasons he was with the Bulls, Rose played a total of 406 games and averaged 19.7 points per game.

Even after hanging up his sneakers years ago, Rose continues to be Chicago’s favorite son as his success feels personal to everyone in Chicago. He also started from humble beginnings and has instilled the belief in many young kids that they could follow in his footsteps.

Derrick Rose hails Chicago and reflects on his relationship with the city

NBA’s youngest MVP didn’t have it easy as his career was cut short due to a string of injuries, but even in his impactful career, his game resonated with fans across the city. Hailing from the city of Chicago, he became the second first overall pick for the franchise since Elton Brand in the 1999 NBA draft.

On his jersey retirement occasion, Derrick Rose poured his heart out in thanking and reflecting on his relationship with the city of Chicago. “This journey was never about me,” he said. “Right from the jump, it was about creating a synergy that somehow people from the city can pull from. And somehow, I was that beacon or that vessel for the movement. But now, being 37 and looking at the totality of it, it never was about me. It was about everybody that found ways to come to my games. Somehow, we had some type of vibration that connected. … It was always meant to be.”

Chicago’s favorite son became only the fifth player for the Bulls to have his jersey retired, joining legends like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan, and Bob Love.