On April 18, 2009, in Game 1 of the First Round against defending champions Boston Celtics, a young Derrick Rose put on a fearless show. His 36 points and 11 assists stat line reflected elite play, and nobody’d remember it was only his playoff debut. The Chicago Bulls might’ve lost that series in seven, but it only fueled a future legend’s aspirations to be among the best in the NBA. All these years later, Michael Jordan’s words reflect that he has achieved his goal.

Just before the prestigious occasion when Derrick Rose joined an exclusive group of players whose jerseys are retired by the Chicago Bulls, he received a 30-second video message from Bulls icon and Hall of Famer Jordan.

“Derrick, congratulations on your retirement of your jersey,” Jordan proudly said. “Very happy for you. You had an unbelievable career. You really represent the city of Chicago and 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.”

The Bulls announced in 2025 that they would retire Rose’s No. 1 jersey in recognition of his contributions to the team and the city. The youngest MVP in NBA history becomes the fifth player in Bulls history to have his jersey retired, joining Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan, and Bob Love, whereas Bill Russell’s No. 6 is retired all across the league.

Apart from Jordan, Pippen also left a message in tribute to Rose, along with his family, close friends, and former NBA teammates, including Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah. NBA and WNBA stalwarts like Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Candace Parker, among others, also shared words of love and appreciation. Several coaches, including Jason Kidd and Steve Kerr, also delivered honorary messages for Rose.

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Derrick Rose opens up on Chicago toughness and Hall of Fame aspirations

Despite injuries, Derrick Rose had an extremely impactful career. He was the No. 1 overall pick for the Bulls back in the 2008 NBA Draft and became only the second player in franchise history to be selected first overall after they drafted Elton Brand in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Born and raised in Chicago, Rose carried the hopes of every local who wanted to wear a Bulls uniform. He spent eight years with the franchise and won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2008-09 campaign, followed by the MVP award a couple of seasons later. After leaving, he played for several other NBA franchises, but his heart has remained with the city of Chicago and the Bulls.

Rose highlighted how the city of Chicago forged him into the player that he was.

“I didn’t play this way solely for me,” Rose said on 670 The Score. “It’s the Chicago way of playing. That’s the way that I played. That’s the way that every time I stepped on the floor, I always tried to show a Chicago toughness.”

Overall, Rose had a sensational impact on the league, the Bulls franchise, and the city as a whole. At 22, he guided the Bulls to a fantastic 62-20 record, their third-best season in the NBA, and the only time they recorded 60 or more wins without Jordan.

Rose is one of the 16 players to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP award. He also hopes to be enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame one day.

“I think it was, but once again, it’s not up to me to decide that,” Rose recently said. “It’s up to the committee, and yeah, it’s up to them to decide. But I would love to be in the Hall of Fame.”

Rose roughly has a 10.5% chance of making the Hall of Fame, according to Basketball Reference. He also has two gold medals with Team USA, and considering his influence on the game, he might just get enshrined in a few years!