Derrick Rose will always remain one of the most renowned players in the history of the Chicago Bulls, if not the NBA. He played for the Bulls from 2008 to 2016, and during that time, he had many memorable moments and accomplishments. He holds the title of the youngest NBA player to win an MVP title.
At just 22 years old, Derrick was crowned MVP in 2011 after playing 81 games for the Chicago Bulls and averaging 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. He led the team to a league-best 62-20 record and the number one seed in the Eastern conference.
So recently, during an interview, Tom Thibodeau was asked what he thought about the Bulls retiring Derrick Rose’s jersey number 1. He first dodged the question by saying that the current Bulls management can best answer it, but at last, the current New York Knicks frontman and former Bulls head coach said he would love to see it happen.
“I’m hopeful. My opinion is he is deserving. I’d love to see it,” Thibodeau said ahead of their Friday night game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Centre. “What Derrick did for this organization, what he did for the city, and what the city and the organization did for him as well. I’d love to see it. In my opinion, he’s a Hall of Fame player.”
Rose is Still Honored by Bulls Fans
Rose is one of the players who, despite his departure from Chicago, he’s still accorded a lot of respect from the crowd whenever he shows up at the United Centre. MVP chants from Bulls fans are always a common occurrence whenever he returns ‘home.’
Even the Chicago Bulls as a team have been resilient in giving out his jersey in recent years—which Rose actually believes is a sign of its retirement.
There are also other ways in which the Bulls’ fraternity has tried to show love and respect to Derrick Rose. Remember when the Bulls fans forced Anthony Morrow to change his jersey number from Rose’s number 1? It happened in 2017. Anthony had been traded to the Bulls by the Oklahoma City Thunder and initially wore jersey number 1. But a backlash from the Bulls’ faithful forced him to change the number.
“It’s unreal,” Rose told reporters. “I’m sorry the guys had to go through that, all the ones that did.”
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Bulls are Selective in Honoring a Retired Number
The Chicago Bulls have a long history of being selective in giving out the honor of jersey hanging and a retired number. Only a few players have had that honor in the franchise’s history. Michael Jordan’s jersey number 23, Scottie Pippen’s number 33, and Bob Love’s number 10 are some of the few jerseys and numbers the Bulls’ have retired.
If Rose’s number 1 becomes the next addition to that list, his case would be one of the most interesting. Remember, he rose from Chicago high school, was drafted number one overall in the 2008 NBA draft by his hometown team (Chicago Bulls), and still holds the record for the youngest MVP in NBA history. Furthermore, he led the Bulls to an eastern conference final and a good number of second-round exits in the seven seasons he spent with them.
It’s still a mystery, though, how the Bulls choose who to honor and who not to, especially when it comes to retiring their numbers. But the masses believe Rose did enough to earn such respect, and it has already become a common conversation.
During his seven seasons in Chicago, Rose established himself as one of the best guards of the 2010s. He averaged 19.7 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, and shot 44.8% from the field.
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Tom Thibodeau and Rose’s Case
Thibodeau recently told journalists that he would love to see Rose’s jersey retired. And if he has approved it, then it’s the right thing for the Bulls’ management to do. Because if there’s any head coach who would have the final say in determining Rose’s case, then it’s Tom Thibodeau.
It’s during the pair’s time in Chicago, Derrick Rose as a player (point guard) and Tom Thibodeau as head coach, that Rose won the highly publicized MVP and made the All-NBA first team in that MVP season. Thibodeau, who coached the Bulls from 2010 to 2015, was also named the NBA coach of the year in that same season after he led Rose and the Bulls to a 62-win. An award he won again in 2021 after leading the Knicks to their first playoff berth in over eight seasons.
Thibodeau also coached Rose on the Timberwolves during the 2018-2019 season. They met again in 2021 when Thibodeau was brought in as Knicks’ head coach. So it’s just right to say that Thibodeau has been with Rise throughout his career, and has seen him at his best and worst.
Credits on Featured Image: Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
