With temperatures below zero outside the United Center, warmth and love filled the hearts of fans who stayed late to watch the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose jersey retirement celebration. Rose was moved to tears during the celebrations, as former teammates and Bulls legend honored a player who only played seven seasons in Chicago, but made an everlasting impact.
It was a fitting tribute for a player who not only burned as bright and fast as a shooting star but also stood tall as a beacon of the Windy City. A look back on his career, specifically his time with the Bulls, is a reminder of immeasurable greatness and how even the most incredible athletes have fleeting careers.
By Chicago For Chicago
Despite arriving at the Chicago basketball powerhouse Simeon in 2003 as one of the nation’s top prospects, Rose played on the freshman and JV teams instead of varsity because of school tradition. He led both teams to city championships and turned down the chance to play on the varsity team for the year-end state tournament. His sophomore season, he would start for the varsity team, lead them to a 30-5 record, and advance to the regionals of the state playoffs.
Rose was a Parade All-American as a sophomore, junior, and senior. In his junior year, Simeon won the Chicago Public League championship and the Class AA state championship. In his senior year, Simeon became the first school in Chicago Public League history to win the title in back-to-back years, and Rose was named a McDonald’s All-American and Illinois Mr. Basketball. His number 25 jersey was retired by the school for the second time (25 was also retired for Benji Wilson).
Rose attended Memphis and played just one season there under the king of one-and-done recruiting, John Calipari. He was not able to wear 25 there, since the school had retired the number for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. Memphis went 33-1, securing a top seed in the NCAA Tournament in March. Rose and the Tigers would lose in the National Championship game to the Kansas Jayhawks 75-68.
Seven Years Of Explosiveness
Rose was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2008 and became the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to score in double figures in his first 10 games. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists in his first season and won the Rookie of the Year award. His season ended in the first round of the playoffs against the defending champion Boston Celtics, but Rose tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points in a rookie playoff debut (36).
In 2010-11, Rose averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists per game, leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record and winning the league’s MVP award. The following season, he suffered a devastating ACL tear in the playoffs, and he would miss the entire 2012-13 season. He came back in 2013-14, but later in that season tore his meniscus. In February of the following season, he needed surgery again on his knee.
Rose played 66 games in his final season with Chicago, averaging 16.4 points and 4.7 assists per game. He played for different teams from 2016-17 to 2023-24, a shell of his former self. It was a tale of two careers. In 405 games for the Bulls, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.2 assists per game, and for the remaining 317 games of his career, he averaged 14.4 points and 4.0 assists.
A Personal Note On The Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose Jersey Retirement
On Friday, November 5, 2010, I was in attendance at the TD Garden to witness the Bulls lose to the Boston Celtics in overtime 110-105. This was the season Rose won the MVP, and I came away from the game almost in a daze at what I witnessed. Rose was so athletic that he would take on dribbling from behind the three-point line, take off, and end up with his elbows above the rim as he dunked in traffic. He blew past defenders like they were middle school kids.
To this day, when my friends and I discuss basketball, this story inevitably comes up, and my friend Clem, who got us the tickets just six rows from the floor, confirms that the experience had to be experienced in first-person to understand. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been there to see it.
Congratulations to Rose on the jersey retirement. Rumors state that Michael Jordan requested Rose’s jersey be next to his, rather than in numerical order. Whether it’s true or not, Rose’s shooting star was as bright as any that has flashed across the night sky. He is truly a Chicago (not just Bulls) legend.
