The Chicago Bulls announced they will retire Derrick Rose’s iconic No. 1 jersey, ensuring his legacy will forever hang in the rafters of the United Center.
Derrick Rose’s story stands apart for a city that has seen its fair share of basketball greatness, from Michael Jordan to Scottie Pippen. It is a tale of perseverance, resilience and a deep connection to the heart of Chicago.
Chairman of the Chicago Bulls Jerry Reinsdorf shared fond sentiments of the news of Rose’s jersey retirement.
“Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Retiring a jersey recognizes a player’s impact beyond on-court achievements. It honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and forged lasting connections with fans. It recognizes that emotional bond and the great influence a player has had on the team and organization’s identity.”
Rose, a native of the city’s south side, was more than just a basketball player; he was Chicago’s son.

Lifelong Chicagoan and basketball enthusiast James Reed, 32, summed it up best.Ā Ā
“D-Rose wasn’t just a player; he was ours,” Reed told the Indianapolis Recorder. “He represented our dreams, our struggles and our triumphs. To see him succeed felt like we were all winning.”
Born and raised in the tough streets of Englewood, Rose’s journey to NBA stardom began long before the league took notice. Rose was a high school phenom at Simeon Career Academy, leading the basketball team to two state championships.
“D-Rose was already Chicago’s own by the time he was in high school,” Reed said. “The buzz around him was unreal. You didn’t need social media to know about him. Everyone in the city knew he was special.”
Reed recalled the energy in the city during Rose’s time at Simeon.

“Chicago is a basketball city. High school basketball here is a big deal, and Derrick was the talk of every court,” Reed said. “Watching him play felt like watching poetry in motion. Even people who weren’t basketball fans couldn’t help but root for him. No one could deny him.”
After graduating in 2007, Rose spent one year at the University of Memphis, showcasing his prodigious talent nationally. His blend of speed, athleticism and court vision made him worth watching. The Chicago Bulls, holding the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, made a decision that would change the trajectory of the franchise and the city’s philosophy and fandom of basketball.
“When the Bulls drafted Derrick Rose, it felt like a dream come true for the city,” Reed said. “How often does a hometown kid get drafted by his hometown team? It was surreal. The city was electric.”
Reed assumed the Bulls would draft a forward as the team had many guards at the time.
“We had guys like Ben Gordon, Kirk Henrich, Luol Deng; I wasn’t sure the Bulls needed a guard,” Reed said. “No disrespect to those guys, but they were not Derrick.”
Rose’s influence was immediate. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009. By his third season, he claimed the NBA MVP award, becoming the youngest player in the league’s history to accomplish such a feat.
Reed fondly remembered the MVP season and what it was like for a hometown kid’s accolade for the city of Chicago.
“The city was alive in a way I had never seen nor felt before,” Reed told the Indianapolis Recorder. “Everywhere you went, people were talking about the Bulls. We didn’t miss a game. Derrick brought us together ā families, friends, even strangers. He gave us something to believe in.”
Reed recalled strangers telling him to “make sure you watch the game tonight” with a smile.

But as quickly as Rose’s star ascended, it dimmed just as abruptly. During the 2012 playoffs, Rose tore his ACL, a devastating injury that altered the course of his career.
For Reed and many others in The Windy City, the memory of that moment is etched in their minds.
“It was heartbreaking,” Reed said. “We all thought, ‘What if?’ What if he hadn’t gotten hurt? Could we have won a championship? We’ll never know, but it’s among sports history’s biggest ‘what-ifs.ā”
Despite the setbacks, Rose persevered, playing for several teams and even reinventing himself as a key contributor in his later years.
Rose not only impacted fans but also his teammates.Ā

Indianapolis native, NBA champion and head coach of boys basketball at Pike High School Jeff Teague was Rose’s teammate with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018. On his podcast “Club 520,” Teague recalled the 2018 night Rose scored a career-high 50 points.
“I remember all of us sitting on the bench like ‘He is really going for it,'” Teague said. “Once he had 50, we all just started crying.”
For many, Rose’s influence extends beyond his on-court accolades.
“He gave us memories that will last a lifetime,” Reed said. “Derrick represented Chicago ā the grit, the hustle, the heart. Even when he was down, he never gave up. That’s what this city is all about.”
Reed closed the interview by sending a message to Rose.
“If I could tell Derrick Rose anything today, I would tell him ‘Thank you, bro,'” Reed told the Indianapolis Recorder. “Thank you for the memories and putting on for Chicago.”
Sometimes, the Rose that grows from the concrete is the most treasured Rose of all.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more sports coverage, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.