On Saturday night, the Chicago Bulls will retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey. Rose will be the fifth Bull to be honored with a jersey retirement, joining Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Love, and Jerry Sloan.
As captured by the Chicago Bulls’ X account, Jordan sent a congratulatory message to Rose.
“Derrick, congratulations on the retirement of your jersey. I’m very happy for you. You had an unbelievable career. You really represent the city of Chicago, the Chicago Bulls, your family, and yourself very, very well. I’m very proud of you and very happy for your special night. I’m looking forward to coming to the United Center and seeing your jersey hanging up with my jersey.”
Prior to Rose, Jordan was the only Most Valuable Player in Bulls history. The Hall of Famer is best known for winning six championships during his time with the team.
Derrick Rose’s Career
Rose was drafted by his hometown Bulls with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In 2011, Rose became the NBA’s youngest Most Valuable Player at 22 years old.
While Rose started his career by breaking records and accumulating accolades, a series of injuries changed his trajectory in the league.
During a first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012, Rose suffered an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the following season. Ten games into his comeback, the Chicago native then faced another season-ending injury.
The three-time All-Star helped lead the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2015, but the franchise failed to make the playoffs in 2016. He was later traded to the New York Knicks.
The latter half of his career was split between stints with the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Overall, Rose averaged 19.7 points and 6.2 assists during his eight seasons with the Bulls. He helped lead the franchise to five playoff appearances.
While his prime was cut short by injuries, Rose left a positive impact on the Bulls. Jordan’s seal of approval further reinforces this notion.
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