In the same week that saw fans line up around the block for his pop-up flower shop ahead of a documentary screening chronicling his career, the Chicago Bulls announced former NBA MVP Derrick Rose will be gifted a prestigious honor.
Rose, who played for the Bulls from 2008-2016, will have his No. 1 jersey retired by the team next season, making Rose just the fifth player in franchise history to have his jersey number hanging from the rafters.
The other retired numbers in the team's history include No. 23 for Michael Jordan, No. 4 for Jerry Sloan, No. 10 for Bob Love and No. 33 for Scottie Pippen.
Rose was drafted first overall by the Bulls in 2008 and quickly emerged as one of the league's premier talents.
OFFICIAL: The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose's number during the 2025-26 NBA season. No other player will ever wear the number 1 for the Chicago Bulls.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 4, 2025
Number 1 will always be from Chicago. pic.twitter.com/s7z3J030WA
Winning Rookie of the Year in his first season in the NBA, Rose's rapid ascent continued to a MVP season in 2010-11 that saw Rose, then 22, lead his team to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference while earning the honor as the youngest MVP in NBA history.
A torn ACL in the opening game of the 2012 Playoffs marked a long struggle with injuries that grabbed the headlines for much of the rest of his career, though that didn't stop Rose from having a few more big moments with the Bulls.
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After missing all of the 2012-13 season and the vast majority of the 2013-14 season, Rose returned in 2014-15 and battled through a mid-season injury to lead the Bulls to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Perhaps Rose's marquee moment as a Bull, the franchise icon nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of their second-round series, at the time giving the Bulls a 2-1 series lead.
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Rose went on to play for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies before announcing his retirement from the league before the 2024-25 season.
âDerrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball,â said Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. âRetiring a jersey recognizes a playerâs impact beyond on-court achievements. It honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and forged deep, lasting connections with fans. It recognizes that emotional bond and the great influence a player has had on the team and organizationâs identity. We are proud to add Derrick to the elite group of players â Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen â whose jerseys have been officially retired by the Chicago Bulls," a statement from Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said.
