NEWSLETTER
Derrick Rose hasn’t worn a Chicago Bulls jersey in over six years, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.
The youngest MVP in NBA history is still frequently connected back to his hometown team. Not only is he remembered for his elite play during the early 2010s, but his departure from the organization still carries some shock value. It’s truly hard to imagine that someone who meant as much as he did to the city ended up in a trade at 28 years old, so much so that it sounds like Rose is still processing it.
“I thought I always be there, like my entire career,” Rose said in a conversation with rapper and podcast host Math Hoffa. “I gave it my all. Played great … Let me tell you, me playing in games, it went from them cheering for me to like shoot the shot to them like, “pass the f—king ball.” It’s the fans. It’s like, whoa. It’s subtle, real subtle, but I can hear that shit. Like, “whoa, that’s the first time I heard that. Shit changing.” I still didn’t think I’d get traded, though.”
Rose was more brutally about his exit from Chicago in this interview than we’ve ever seen from him. Not only did Rose talk about the change he saw in the fans, but he discussed the impact that the media had on him over his final months with the Bulls.
The media got into it, where they’re flipping shit where it was something that it wasn’t. Where it’s like, “it looks like he doesn’t want to be here, it looks like he’s going through it, they should trade him.” Once you start seeing that shit and hearing that shit, it’s kind of like true [and] what’s going on.”
Rose even told a story about sitting down with the team’s front office a couple of months in advance of his shocking trade. He described a conversation where he told the previous regime about the harsh media comments and rumors about a possible trade.
While Rose specifically said he wasn’t trying to attack the old front office, he did seem to imply that they didn’t like him speaking up.
“Right after that, a couple of months go by I’m traded,” Rose said. “They couldn’t take me being honest with them in a way. This is my first time saying this. I’m not trying to shit on the organization on anything or anything like that. They tell their side of it, but you never hear the other side, which is my side.”
Rose goes on to tell a story about a nameless reporter who was particularly ruthless as Rose’s time with the franchise wound down. Rose called out the reporter for taking things to a personal level that “journalists” never should. Unfortunately, I think we can all remember this being a part of Rose’s story. The reaction he started to receive from fans and media as he worked his way back from injury undoubtedly became hostile, and Rose probably deserves more credit for how he handled that toxic period.
At the end of the day, it’s never great to open old wounds. But it’s true that we haven’t heard much from Rose when it comes to his bitter end in Chicago, so I will recommend you at least give the full clip a watch below. It’s certainly interesting to hear his perspective, especially now a handful of years removed from the emotions of it all.
