NEWSLETTER
Ever since the franchise parted ways with Derrick Rose in 2016, Chicago Bulls fans have asked the same question: Should his jersey hang in the rafters of the United Center?
Albeit far shorter-lived than anyone ever expected, Rose established himself as one of the top players in the organization’s history. Not only did he bring the franchise to its furthest point since Michael Jordan dawned a Bulls jersey, but he was a home-grown talent who established an undeniable connection with the fan base.
With that being the case, it came as no surprise that Shams Charania posed the question to Rose in a recent interview with Stadium. Mentioning that fellow Bulls great Joakim Noah believes Rose will one day have his jersey retired, Rose approached the topic as modestly as we’d expect:
“I haven’t really thought about it, but the idea would be cool, Rose told Charania. “My son’s grandfather was telling me, man, it’s really not about you at that time. It’s about your family. It’s about PJ, your mom, your kids.
I don’t think about like the jersey ceremony, I think about what I would say because it’s like, man, I got to go out there in front of the fans center court.”
I genuinely believe that Rose hasn’t thought about the situation much throughout his rather chaotic career. But I do believe that he’ll likely think about it more and more as time goes on. As he said, that moment is about celebrating the legacy built alongside friends and family. Maturing throughout his 15-year career, I have to imagine sharing that moment with his loved ones back in his hometown would mean a heck of a lot.
As for whether or not the day will ever truly come, that remains a massive question. The fact of the matter is the Bulls have been one of the stingiest franchises when it comes to jersey retirement. Only a total of four players have received such recognition since the team’s inception back in 1966: Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen.
Similar to Rose, Sloan and Love never led Chicago to a championship during their time in the city. However, the two did play at least nine or more seasons with the Bulls. FWIW: Rose just misses that threshold with eight of his first 15 seasons spent with the team.
Overall, if my quick check around the NBA is correct, only seven teams have fewer jerseys retired from Chicago, including the Hornets, Magic, Raptors, Mavs, Clippers, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves. The Bulls are tied with the Mavericks, Pacers, Heat, and Wizards with four retired player jerseys.
Holding the 4th-most championships in NBA history, we can all agree Chicago has a far more storied history than each one of those franchises. Now, is that all largely thanks to Michael Jordan? Sure, but there are still a handful of players who you could argue deserve a spot in the rafters.
Rose touched on several other topics during his interview, including his team’s current matchup with former teammates Jimmy Butler in the playoffs. While discussing what makes the Heat’s best player so special, he reflected on the iconic moment he predicted his MVP award:
“Nobody really know your journey or how you feel about yourself but you,” Rose said. “Like, even with me saying I was going to win MVP, nobody really believed me. My mom probably didn’t even believe. But I believed. You know what I mean? And I feel like you are the only one that can know – not believe – but know what you have inside you. And I feel like Jimmy always knew he was going to be someone.”
Those are wise words from a player who has seen a lot over the years. Anyway, you can listen to his full conversation with Charania here or below. You can also learn more about Rose’s upcoming chess tournament in Las Vegas here.
