In the heart of Chicago, Derrick Rose holds a special place that even the legendary Michael Jordan can't quite claim. Former NBA player Iman Shumpert, hailing from nearby Berwyn, Illinois, recently shed light on this sentiment during an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
“Mike’s more to the game,” Shumpert explained. “To Chicago, we choosing sides.
Mike a North Carolina boy. We happy we got him.
We happy what he did for the city. Pooh was born here, and really did this.
They followed him in high school. We followed him to Memphis.
We followed him to the league. Then he the youngest MVP.
And he brought that s*** home to Chicago. He held that motherf***** up in Chicago.
Oh man!”
Jordan, of course, is synonymous with the Bulls' six NBA titles in the '90s, but he wasn't a native son. Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan brought greatness to Chicago, but Rose is truly one of their own. Born and raised in Chicago, Rose made waves at Simeon High School, leading them to back-to-back state championships in 2006 and 2007.
During his senior year, Rose averaged an impressive 25.2 points, 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game, capturing the city's imagination. His journey took him to the University of Memphis, but he soon returned home when the Bulls won the 2008 draft lottery and selected him first overall. By 2011, Rose had become the youngest MVP in NBA history, setting the stage for what many believed would be a storied career.
However, the dream took a hit when Rose tore his ACL during the 2012 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. The injuries that followed became one of the NBA's greatest "what-ifs," preventing Rose from reaching his full potential.
Despite the setbacks, Rose's connection to Chicago remained unshaken. As Shumpert put it, “Everything about Pooh was Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago.
We got to witness it, see everything. It’s like, yeah, he went to the league, and you might not ever get six rings like Mike, but Mike could never be from here.”
In essence, while Jordan is a giant for the Bulls, Rose is a giant for Chicago. This sentiment is echoed by NBA voices like Kendrick Perkins and Draymond Green, who agree on Rose's unparalleled impact on the city.
Perkins lauds Rose not just for his basketball prowess but for his contributions to the community, dubbing him the king of Chicago. Green adds that Rose's influence is so profound that it even curtails crime in the city.
On January 24, 2026, Rose's legacy was cemented when the Bulls retired his No. 1 jersey. At 37, he may not have led the team to the ultimate glory, but his mark on Chicago's basketball history is indelible.