As the Chicago Bulls get ready to hang Derrick Rose‘s jersey in the rafters, an obvious question about his place among the greats pops up. Rose was not just the player who helped the Bulls move past Michael Jordan‘s legendary era, but also someone Chicagoans saw themselves in. Kendrick Perkins, for one, unsurprisingly believes that Rose is the “biggest athlete” who will “have a statue” in the future.

When Rose put on the Bulls jersey in 2008, the city already knew him. They watched him grow. Perkins, who experienced the Chicago crowd’s energy firsthand while playing against him, insisted his take was serious, stating he genuinely believed Rose was bigger than Jordan.

“He’s bigger than Michael Jordan when it comes to being in Chicago,” the 2008 NBA Champion said on the Road Trippin’ Show. “That’s their king. Not only what he brought for the game of basketball between the lines, but also because he has so much in that f—— community. It’s unreal. Like they f—— love him.”

In a time when Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Perkins’ 2025 opinion, which has resurfaced, is bound to be controversial among NBA fans. While some believe that “Chicagoans will literally agree with him,” many flooded the comment section with mockery of the comparison.

Kendrick Perkins ridiculed over daring take on Michael Jordan vs. Derrick Rose debate

When Derrick Rose arrived at the United Center, the team had endured a dry spell, going over a decade without a promising season. And in his rookie season, Rose led the Bulls to a seven-game series thriller against the Boston Celtics, which they ultimately lost. He even competed against the Big 3 of the Miami Heat, and to this day, many NBA folks say Rose might have won it all if it weren’t for LeBron James forming an almost unbeatable team in South Beach.

But it’s always hard to make a case against Jordan, especially when it comes to fame and greatness.

“DRose is beloved in Chicago, but no one who’s from Chicago agrees with this. No one is bigger in Chicago than MJ. Thats just the truth,” one fan said.

Jordan put the Bulls on the map, winning six titles during his stint. With him, every playoff road in the NBA led to Chicago, and fans weren’t ready to deny that.

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Perkins is also among the athletes who have put LeBron James over Jordan in the GOAT debate. Despite their sour relationship, he continues to put the Los Angeles Lakers veteran over him…

His wild take had some fans baffled, saying, “He’s literally paid by Klutch and yall expect him not to say this lmao.”

Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports has been under fire lately for having too much leverage following a Jeanie Buss report that went viral. LeBron James, however, made it clear he did not care about the allegations. The reaction from users wasn’t shocking.

Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose in Chicago, once claimed that the former Bulls player was the “most beloved player in the league.”

Rose was poised, but his poker face and eyes evoked a rare fear among opponents. It’s hard to find a fan who could ever hate the youngest NBA MVP, who represented what it was to be human, to be vulnerable, and come back stronger each time. 

“I love Derrick Rose. But this is some of the dumbest s— I’ve ever heard,” one fan wrote.

Fans believed that Perkins’ take on the Jordan-Rose was “horrendous,” and that perhaps it shouldn’t be a debate at all.

Rose might be the most beloved player in Chicago, but comparing players to Jordan in any capacity undermines their greatness. Rose’s former teammate, Joakim Noah, said it better than anyone else, calling him the “people’s champ.”

Even Jordan himself offered words of praise for Rose.

“You really represent the city of Chicago and the Chicago Bulls, your family, and yourself very, very well,” Jordan said ahead of Rose’s jersey retirement.