It all started with odds of 1.7%. On the fateful day of May 20, 2008, the Chicago Bulls’ chance to land the No. 1 overall pick was slim. By some miracle, they leapfrogged from ninth to first place to eventually draft Derrick Rose — a local boy from the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side.
For the boy who grew up idolizing the heroics of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and perfecting his game on the blacktop, that was already a dream-come-true moment. But that will come full circle on Jan. 24 at the United Center, when the Bulls retire Rose’s No. 1 jersey. Ahead of that, it was Jordan himself who set the tone for the evening with a special message.
Michael Jordan Gives Derrick Rose His Flowers
Until now, the Bulls have retired four jerseys: Nos. 23 and 33 for Jordan and Pippen, arguably the greatest Bulls, who brought six NBA titles to the Windy City in the 1990s. Jerry Sloan and Bob Love, Bulls greats from the 1960s and ‘70s, also have their Nos. 4 and 10 hanging in the rafters. Notably, Rose will be the only one of them who is from Chicago.
To mark the occasion, in a video message, Jordan said, “Derrick, congratulations on the retirement of your jersey. I’m very happy for you. You had an unbelievable career. You really represented the city of Chicago, the Chicago Bulls, your family, and yourself very, very well. So I’m very proud of you and very happy for your special night.
“Looking forward to coming to the United Center and seeing your jersey hanging up there with my jersey. Congratulations and enjoy your night.”
Michael Jordan has a message for D-Rose 🐐 pic.twitter.com/l1K2hz7Y4C
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 24, 2026
Entering the NBA as a Bulls rookie, Rose was an instant sensation with his blend of speed, skill, and explosiveness. Averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds over 81 games, he swept the Rookie of the Year voting, earning 111 of the 120 first-place votes from the media panel. Not only that, he brought the Bulls back to the postseason and once again delivered a performance for the ages in his playoff debut.
Against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2009 playoffs, Rose logged 36 points and 11 assists to lead Chicago to a 105-103 Game 1 win. Recalling the feat, Brian Scalabrine had said, “I just never in my life saw anyone that explosive. So watching him, he’s cooking us, and we’re supposed to be a championship-level team. To show up in the Garden and do that, that’s what legends are made of.”
Rose added one more historic chapter during his third season with the Bulls. Posting a career-high average of 25 points, he led the Bulls to a 62-20 record, taking them to the playoffs as the top seed of the Eastern Conference. At just 22 years old, Rose became the NBA’s youngest MVP with that performance.
“His talent, his speed, his athleticism, his craftiness, his mind. There’s no surprise why he was the youngest, and still is the youngest, MVP in NBA history. The guy was simply that great,” LeBron James had said later about the feat.
However, disaster struck during the 2011-12 playoffs. In the first round against the 76ers, Rose suffered a torn left ACL. That ended his season and also cost him the 2012-13 season. Another injury, a torn meniscus in his right knee, stalled his comeback in the 2013-14 season. These repeated injuries never allowed him to fully realize his potential, stopping him from delivering the franchise’s first championship in the post-Jordan era.
After the 2016 season, Rose was traded to New York, and he played the latter half of his career with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Pistons, and Grizzlies, eventually retiring in 2024. The jersey retirement will take place in a postgame ceremony on the court after the Bulls host the Celtics on Saturday.
