An Ode to Derrick Rose: Elevating Bulls Fandom Through Stardom, Perseverance

Just a Seed

Growing up as a Chicago Bulls fan born in the mid-1980s, I was introduced to the team and the game of basketball by the greatest player of all time, Michael Jeffery Jordan.

Experiencing the first three-peat as a kid and the second three-peat as a teenager, I appreciated and recognized Jordan at his greatest. When Jordan retired for his second time after the 1997-98 season, it was a total culture shock to 14-year-old me that the Bulls would no longer be good.

While Jordan had introduced me to the game of basketball and winning championships, I hadn't yet come to understand the other side of basketball — losing and, more importantly, rebuilding. The importance of draft picks and team building aren't factors at the forefront of your focus when your team is a perennial champion.

The 1998-99 Bulls were terrible, winning a measly 13 games in a shortened 50-game season due to the NBA lockout. Offput by the team I loved no longer being good and going through adolescence, I turned my focus more to the WWE (then known as WWF) in one of the most popular eras of pro wrestling, the Attitude Era.

I was living in Washington, D.C., and the Bulls weren't being shown on national TV without their winning ways of old. Games featuring the Baby Bulls rarely drew national TV slots.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete

But things began to change on June 26, 2008. With the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Bulls selected Derrick Rose!

There was a new buzz around the Bulls that was felt even far from the city. The Bulls had a new generational talent that they could build a championship-caliber team around. The hometown hero played with a brand of speed and aggression coupled with grace and athleticism that had never been seen before. He truly was what Bulls commentator Stacey King dubbed him, "Too big, too strong, too fast, and just too good."

I was fully tapped back in with the Bulls, the NBA, and the game of basketball. I was amazed by Rose's play style the same way I was amazed by Michael Jordan as a child.

'M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!'

It seemed like there wasn't anything that Derrick Rose couldn't do on the court, which led him to ask the infamous question, "Why can't I be MVP?"

Rose tore through the NBA in 2010-11 when he averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record, the best mark in the league. He earned MVP honors at 22 years old, making him the youngest player to accomplish the feat in NBA history.

Rose led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals, a series they lost to the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh-led Miami Heat. Even though the Bulls fell short, everyone expected it would just be a matter of time before there'd be a seventh championship banner hanging in the rafters of the United Center.

It was an amazing time to be a Bulls fan. I had the same on-top-of-the-world feeling I experienced while watching Michael Jordan and the '90s Bulls. Basketball had grown from my favorite sport to my full-on passion.

My adult brain was able to comprehend just how special this moment was and how much of what Rose did on the court was art.

April 28, 2012

The NBA once again experienced a lockout-shortened campaign in 2011-12 that featured 66 regular-season games. Derrick Rose dealt with several nagging injuries that limited him to 39 games played. But the Bulls still finished the season with a 50-16 record, trying the San Antonio Spurs for the NBA's best mark.

On April 28, 2012, the Bulls began a first-round playoff series against the No. 8 seed Philadelphia 76ers. Armed with their superstar player, the Bulls were on a mission for championship gold.

Rose looked fresh despite the regular-season time he missed due to injuries, logging 23 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in 37 minutes. I vividly remember watching this game in my living room with one of my buddies, telling him, “The MVP is back, we’re winning the championship this year!” while beaming with excitement.

Then in the blink of an eye, it all came crashing down.

With the game in hand for the Bulls, who led by 12 points with 1:22 remaining, Rose jumped up and passed the ball before coming down and crumbling to the floor, holding his knee. Just like that, Chicago's championship aspirations were snuffed out by a torn ACL.

All of Bulls Nation, including the team, the city of Chicago, and me, was heartbroken. To this day, I don't think I've experienced anything more gut-wrenching than the sight of Rose lying on the court grimacing in pain. It felt like a literal punch in the gut.

Life After Injury

While Derrick Rose never returned to his MVP form, he still delivered flashes of brilliance upon returning to the court. His post-Chicago stops included stints with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzles.

Although Rose no longer played for my beloved Bulls, I'd still watch any highlight involving him, and I noticed a common trend. No matter where he played, the city, his teammates, and his peers loved him.

Of course, no place adored Rose more than Chicago. The "MVP" chants were thunderous whenever he took the United Center court. The Windy City loved him because of his humbleness, his game, and his determination.

Rose was the living embodiment of the phrase "fall down nine times, get back up 10."

Retirement

On Sept. 26, 2024, Derrick Rose announced his retirement from basketball. His announcement was met with a wave of admiration from the NBA world, including his teammates, opponents, and fans. All recounted their favorite moments of Rose's career to celebrate one of basketball's good guys.

The Bulls recently announced a "Derrick Rose Night" celebration for Jan. 4, 2025 when Chicago hosts the New York Knicks at the United Center. The United Center will undoubtedly be packed with Bulls fans coming to celebrate and honor Rose's career.

When it's all said and done, Rose will go down as one of the most important players in Bulls history alongside Michael Jordan and the staples of the '90s teams, even though No. 1 didn't produce the championships the dynasty era did. Rose brought hope back to Chicago as he put the city and often the team on his back upon joining the Bulls.

Jordan introduced me to the game of basketball, but Rose made me love it. For that, I will forever be grateful, and like millions, I hope to see the Bulls soon hanging Rose's jersey in the rafters where it belongs.

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