In the electric hum of the United Center, it enshrined Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey forever. It wasn’t just about a jersey going up into the rafters—it was about a kid from Englewood who gave Chicago its heartbeat back. He is the city’s favorite son, a blur of speed and sheer willpower that made everyone believe in miracles again.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft went from being Rookie of the Year to an All-Star to NBA MVP in his first three seasons. He remains the league’s youngest MVP, winning it when he was 22. Teammates, fans, family, coaches, and even legends came out to celebrate Pooh getting his jersey raised to the United Center rafters.

Scottie Pippen understands what it’s like to lead with pressure

When MJ retired for the first time, the city was looking at Pippen to lead them to glory. Similarly, the same pressure was on D-Rose ever since the draft. Pip made sure to give his flowers to Chicago’s own through a video message. “What’s up, Chicago? It’s an honor to be a part of this moment. Derek, congratulations. You represent what it means to be a Chicago Bull. Thank you for believing in this city. Thank you for giving everything you had, and thank you for inspiring the next generation. Once a bull, always a bull.”

When Rose announced his retirement, Pippen summed it up perfectly. Pip acknowledged Rose for being the heart of Chicago while also dubbing him the “most resilient” ever. The Hall of Famer touched upon D-Rose’s career in brief, stating that the latter’s journey was “never just about the highlights.” Instead, the youngest MVP in league history was recognized for his intangibles.

Top Stories

Marina Mabrey Attracts Unrivaled Attention for the Wrong Reasons Yet Again

Michael Jordan Pulls the Plug on $75M Commitment, Derailing NBA Star’s LeBron-Like Path

Prayers Pour In from Angel Reese, Cameron Brink & Others Over the Tragic Events in Minnesota 

Lakers Make First Roster Cut as Insider Explains Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Plan

Lisa Leslie Doesn’t Hold Back Over Brittney Griner’s Flagrant Foul on Aliyah Boston

Rivalry that blossomed into friendship with LeBron James

Over his playing career, Derrick Rose had to stare down at LeBron James as an opponent. Whether with the Cavaliers or the Miami Heat’s ‘Big 3’, Rose couldn’t figure out how to get past that hurdle. They were fierce rivals, having played against one another 40 times across several seasons. If anything, their infectious battles while both players were at their peak have resulted in mutual respect. In December, James saluted Derrick Rose as a “legend”, expanding on the impact he had on Chicago.

LeBron kept his message short: “Congratulations, Pooh, on your retirement. Salute, my brother.”

Just like how James brought a lot of hope for Cleveland fans, Rose did the same for the Bulls. After numerous battles, Pooh even named the 4x NBA champ as his toughest rival. “Bron was the only one who thought like a point guard that wasn’t a point guard, where he wouldn’t score early or sometimes he would start scoring early, and he was smart enough to adjust. I hated that,” Rose said while at the Adidas Eurocamp last year.

From one electrifying point guard to another

Before the three-point revolution brought about by Steph Curry, Derrick Rose was the guard who electrified crowds. The agility and the dunks left a far-lasting impression on the fans that is still celebrated today. That’s why even Curry sent a small video message as their careers were on a similar pathway. “D-Rose was tough. He’s the most athletically dominant player or guard that I had seen and probably have ever seen. And D-Rose is one of the realest,” said Curry.

“D-Rose, congratulations on getting your jersey retired in Chicago. I know what you meant to that city, what that city means to you. You know, honor that’s well deserved. Congratulations.” The two faced each other 17 times in their career, all during the regular season. The Warriors superstar won 14 out of those contests with an average of 24.5 points.

That’s why a decade ago, Derrick Rose had no issue putting Curry as the number 1 point guard during an interview with ESPN.”You’ve got to put him up there at No. 1.”

Jason Kidd on Derrick Rose

When Rose came into the league as a point guard, his true idol was Jason Kidd. Their relationship evolved over time, and when it was time for Pooh to receive his flowers, J-Kidd was never going to miss this chance.

“As an opponent, I hated playing against him because he was too fast and too athletic, but I always enjoyed watching him play because he played the game the right way, and his spirit was contagious. He was a winner, and I was a big fan of DRose.”

Rose, as a rookie, was in awe playing against Kidd. Kidd often praised Rose’s toughness and character. In fact, they shared the locker room during the 2010 Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas. Even then, Kidd was ready to pass the torch to Pooh as the next great point guard for the national team.

“Yeah,” he said. “Twenty-one, and he has all the tools to be a great point guard in this environment, and also in the NBA, so the future’s very bright for him.”

Inspiring the next generation, starting with Jayson Tatum

The Celtics star stated multiple times that, being from St. Louis, he never had a favorite basketball team. It was the Lakers that he got close to, and especially Kobe Bryant. But there was also some impact of D-Rose, which JT revealed in the tribute video.

“Being a kid from St. Louis, obviously didn’t have an NBA team, but I remember at that time, myself and a lot of other people were Chicago fans. A big reason was cuz of you. It was an honor to get to play against you and get to watch you, you know, one of the greatest of all time. So, congrats.”

Since Tatum made his debut in 2017-18, it was not the same D-Rose he faced, which he saw on TV. After multiple injuries and being part of a different franchise, Rose’s career was never the same.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shares the same DNA as Derrick Rose

Coming to the league after tutelage from John Calipari, Gilgeous-Alexander and Rose had plenty in common, as per their former coach. Particularly about their intangible traits. “Shai won’t do an interview unless his teammates are around. Derrick wouldn’t take a picture unless his teammates were around. You’ll never hear a player who played with them ever say a bad word because they’re great teammates.” Being better teammates was one of the reasons they were able to win MVPs.

So SGA also sent a loving message, “And when you saw this steadiness from him, like in terms of showing emotion out there on the floor, he was always in the moment. It was very impressive. Congrats on the jersey retirement. Congrats on the career.”

A shared legacy with Ayo Dosunmu

Dosunmu was 11 years old when Rose captivated the NBA with his 2011 NBA MVP performance. In fact, he played high school ball just four miles from Rose’s alma mater on the South Side. When the Bulls selected him as the #38 pick in 2021, he joined Pooh as the only Chicago-born players drafted by the Bulls since 1985. During the tribute video, those sentiments were justified.

“It was always like, who’s going to be the next excitement from Chicago? And I think once Derrick came, he really brought some excitement to the city.”

Ayo Dosunmu, a Chicago native and Bulls guard, grew up idolizing Derrick Rose as a hometown legend. Dosunmu mirrors Rose by preferring his introduction as “from Chicago” rather than his college.

Speaking about D-Rose’s impact, Dosunmu said last year, “He’s a legend. That’s pretty much all I can say. He was a legend that I saw up close, and maybe him being from Chicago plays a huge part. So, it just hit different when you had that connection, just him being in your city, because I always rooted for the Bulls. So, his whole time here, I was rooting for him. I was rooting for the Bulls. Yeah, like I said, when I was a kid, he was always going in the backyard doing reverse layups and D-rolls.”

Another current star idolizing Derrick Rose was Matas Buzelis

Similar to Dosunmu, Buzelis said, “I think he gave hope and faith to, you know, kids in Chicago to become superstars, you know, in the NBA.” Matas Buzelis has never hidden his admiration for Rose. After being selected 11th overall- by his hometown team, no less- the Chicago native was both emotional and grateful. Buzelis cited Rose- “a big impact on Chicago basketball,” in his words- as his favorite Bull growing up.

That’s why he called up D-Rose before the second season in the league, to match the expectations and pressure. “Yeah, I mean, I ask a lot of players a lot of questions. I can go, I mean, there’s a list. I’d say I talked to D Rose about his mentality.” After being instrumental in the Bulls’ first preseason game, Buzelis spoke to the media. The lottery pick of the 2024 draft wants to make the most of his career after his rookie season. He reached out to many for that, but Derrick Rose stood out.

After all, the 37-year-old knows the pressure of expectation and what the Bulls crowd demands from the player born and raised in Chicago. All these messages are important for Rose to actually state his impact apart from basketball.

Whether it’s his flower shop, his chess league, his numerous community programs now that he has moved back to Chicago or his other pending business ventures that he didn’t want to announce just yet, Rose was humbled by all the hoopla surrounding his jersey retirement but also excited about life away from basketball, which he stepped away from after the 2023-24 season.