Source: Geoff Stellfox / Getty / Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose got his flowers last night, and deservingly so. The retired pro hooper joined elite company on Saturday when the Chicago Bulls announced the organization will hang his no.1 jersey up in the rafters in the United Center next season ahead of a halftime tribute ceremony.
According to ESPN, the hooper, affectionately called D. Rose, said he was “still in a daze” on Saturday morning when he learned his number would be retired and added to the rafters next season.
The moment Pooh learned his number is officially going in the rafters
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— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 4, 2025
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D. Rose learned of the event hours before the Bulls took on the New York Knicks at the United Center. To honor the explosive guard, both teams wore shirts with the date “1.4.25,” which are all three numbers Rose wore during his career.
A Celebration Fit For A King
To further honor Pooh, the Bulls also opened the Derrick Rose Atrium Experience, which featured memorabilia from Rose’s career.
There were also other activations, like a pop-up flower shop throughout the city dedicated to Rose hosted by the Bulls and adidas. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared Saturday as Derrick Rose Day leading up to the ceremony.
Before the ceremony, Rose said he was still processing the halftime ceremony but said it was not just a celebration for him but for everyone.
“Tonight is not about that,” Rose said ahead of the game. “It’s about me giving everybody that’s in this room, everybody that was a part of the story, the journey, the good, the bad, the ugly. It’s celebrating everyone.”
Joakim Noah Was The Perfect Choice To Honor Derrick Rose
The tribute ceremony took place during halftime. It featured remarks from broadcasters Stacey King, Neil Funk, and Joakim Noah, Rose’s Bulls teammate. Noah led the crowd in an MVP chant.
“You’re not only the MVP,” Noah said during his speech, “you’re the people’s champ.”
“You’re not only the MVP… you’re the people’s CHAMP.”
– Joakim Noah to DRose
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— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2025
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Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who had the honor of coaching Rose in Chicago, Minnesota, and New York, said he has no doubt Rose will be an NBA Hall of Famer.
“In looking in the eyes of the opponent, when they had to guard him, you could see the fear, and the respect,” Thibodeau said. “His ability to play his best when his best was needed, big games, playoff games, games that are meaningful, he went to a different level. And he did it against the best … the true measure of a man is how he handles adversity, and nobody did it better.”
Before Rose delivered remarks, a short film tribute, “Becoming a Rose,” directed by the legendary hooper, played, praising his beloved hometown of Chicago.
“Thank you, Chicago, for forcing me to be great,” Rose said to the crowd during the ceremony. “For putting those expectations on me.”
To punctuate the night, the Chicago Bulls used the energy from the ceremony to spark a run. They outscored the Knicks by 24 in the third quarter, leading to a 139-126 victory on Rose’s big night.
A Hell of A Career
Derrick Rose was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Bulls and was named 2008-09 Rookie of the Year. He was a three-time All-Star named 2010-11 NBA MVP, becoming the youngest player in league history at 22 to earn the honor.
Rose’s meteoric rise in the league hit an unfortunate snag due to sustaining multiple injuries, including a torn ACL and medial meniscus in his right knee (twice).
When it was all said and done, Rose finished with 12,573 points and 3,770 assists in 723 games.
D.Rose isn’t hanging his head on what could have been.
“The last time I had those conversations was years, years ago, and who knows?” said Rose. “But at the same time, with me being obsessed [with basketball], I wouldn’t have found out who I was as a person. I was obsessed with the game. So if I would’ve won a championship, I would’ve won four and that would’ve pulled me away further and further away from finding self-knowledge, self-revelation, identity.
“Everybody’s story is different. For some reason, mine ended up being this way. Coming from Chicago, we rolled with the punches.”
Social media also paid respect to D.Rose on what will forever be known as Derrick Rose Day; you can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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