On Saturday night in Chicago, the Bulls didn’t just win a game-they celebrated a legacy. Derrick Rose, the hometown hero who once carried the weight of a city on his shoulders, saw his No. 1 jersey lifted into the rafters of the United Center.
And fittingly, the night ended with a dramatic win over the Boston Celtics, capped by a clutch three from Kevin Huerter that sent the crowd into a frenzy. But this night was never really about the final score.
It was about honoring one of the most electrifying players to ever wear a Bulls uniform.
The ceremony brought together a who’s who of Rose’s Bulls era. Former teammates, coaches, and of course, Tom Thibodeau-Rose’s coach during the team’s most recent run of playoff success-were all in the building.
Thibodeau, known for his intensity and defensive schemes, shared a lighthearted moment with Rose during the speech. Rose, never one to shy away from a little humor, took a playful jab at Thibs’ Ivy League background.
“Thibs, you may have went to Harvard, you may have did physics, but I showed you physics,” Rose said with a grin, referencing the jaw-dropping athleticism that defined his game. Thibodeau, watching from the crowd, couldn’t help but laugh.
And really, Rose wasn’t wrong. At his peak, he didn’t just play basketball-he redefined what was possible on the court.
His hang time, body control, and explosive first step made defenders look like they were stuck in slow motion. He wasn’t just fast-he was sudden.
The kind of sudden that made crowds gasp and opponents guess.
In 2010-11, Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history, a record that still stands. That season, he led the Bulls to 62 wins and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, injecting the franchise with a level of hope and swagger it hadn’t seen since the Jordan era.
For a moment, it felt like Chicago was back. And it was all built around a 22-year-old point guard from Englewood who played with fearlessness and flair.
But Rose’s story in Chicago is also one of heartbreak. Injuries-devastating, untimely, and relentless-derailed what looked like a Hall of Fame trajectory.
The ACL tear in the 2012 playoffs changed everything. And while Rose battled back time and again, he never quite recaptured that same MVP form in a Bulls uniform.
He’d go on to reunite with Thibodeau in Minnesota and later in New York, showing flashes of brilliance and veteran poise along the way before calling it a career in 2024. Through it all, he remained a beloved figure-not just for what he did on the court, but for the way he carried himself off it.
Quiet. Humble.
Resilient.
Saturday night was a reminder of what he meant to the city. For a generation of Bulls fans, Rose wasn’t just a great player-he was their player.
A Chicago kid who made it big and brought the spotlight back to the United Center. Since his departure, the Bulls have struggled to find that same spark, now staring down what could be a fourth straight play-in appearance.
The post-Rose era has had its moments, but nothing quite like the electricity he brought.
As his jersey rose into the rafters, the crowd roared-not just for the highlights, the accolades, or the numbers, but for the memories. For the hope he gave. For the way he made basketball in Chicago feel alive again.
Derrick Rose may have hung up his sneakers, but his legacy in the Windy City is permanent. Just look up.