Derrick Rose gets the perfect tribute in his hometown Chicago, months after calling it a career in the NBA.
Seven months after hanging up his jersey in the NBA, the iconic Derrick Rose was given an emotional tribute by his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, at the United Center early into the new year.
Fondly called the “Derrick Rose Night,” the stars aligned as one of Chicago’s finest sporting icons was given his flowers on Sunday (Manila time). Former teammates were in attendance, while various fans pulled out their best D-Rose jerseys to celebrate their hometown hero.
In case you missed it, here’s how the night went down as Rose was given his flowers in the Windy City.
Full circle
Throughout his 16-year career, Derrick Rose was met with “MVP!” chants whenever he played at the United Center. After all, it was here where he established himself as one of the NBA’s finest players prior to his injuries. Not to mention that Rose’s first seven years were a tale of a hometown product putting the Bulls back to relevance since the Michael Jordan era in the 90s.
As expected, the MVP chants rang again on Sunday for Rose’s halftime speech. But this time around, it was his pinstripe suit that featured the Bulls’ red and black team colors. All that’s left is for a hero to feel the love of a city that he represented for a good seven years in the NBA.
“Thank you, Chicago, for forcing me to be great and putting those expectations on me. I was trying to be great too and I just didn’t know that the environment I was in was forcing me to. So thank you to everybody that watched me since I was in sixth grade, seventh, grade, eighth grade, injuries, MVP, playoff losses, playoff wins,” Rose said during his halftime speech.
There was also his shootaround with firstborn son PJ, and an emotional reunion with longtime teammate Joakim Noah to further evoke nostalgia in the intimate weekend.
Good old days
The United Center was filled with various Derrick Rose jerseys including the traditional home and away kits. Even current Bulls players Zach LaVine and Dalen Terry joined in on the festivities, rocking a rare St. Patrick’s Day and home kit respectively for their pre-game outfits.
Apart from the jerseys, there was also the Derrick Rose Experience by the United Center’s atrium that featured his 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player trophy, 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year Award, and iconic portraits showcasing his explosive athleticism. A logo, created from various action shots of Rose, is another attraction on top of the curated memorabilia.
His Adizero Rose sneakers were also on display in the atrium, while attendees were given a free shirt featuring his iconic rose logo with the Three Stripes.
Little details
The NBA also did its due part by providing special warmups that read “1/4/25” and were stylized in the Bulls, New York Knicks, and Simeon Career Academy’s jersey fonts respectively. If you’ve followed Rose’s career, then you’d know that “January 4, 2025” also corresponds to his jersey numbers when broken down into a numerical format.
The night also featured a match between the Bulls and Knicks, two major stops in Rose’s 16-year NBA career. On top of this, the Knicks are currently coached by Tom Thibodeau, the mentor who Rose played for during his glory days in the Windy City.
All in all, Derrick Rose Night was a more than fitting celebration of their hometown hero as he walked away from a memorable playing career. Sure there were injuries, but D-Rose was an exciting player to watch in his prime, one who became a glimmer of hope as he led the Bulls to battle in the early 2010s.
On top of the special night, Derrick Rose’s jersey no. 1 will also be retired during the 2025-2026 NBA season to further immortalize his legacy in the Windy City. In doing so, his number will be placed beside the likes of legends Michael Jordan (#23), Scottie Pippen (#33), Jerry Sloan, and Bob Love (#10) in the United Center rafters.
Images from the Chicago Bulls on Facebook and X.