The Chicago Bulls have retired Derrick Rose’s No 1 jersey in an emotional ceremony after the 106-103 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday evening.
The Chicago native, who retired in 2024, is the fifth Bulls participant to have his shirt retired, after Jerry Sloan (No 4), Bob Love (No 10), Michael Jordan (No 23) and Scottie Pippen (No 33).
Rose, 37, performed eight seasons for the franchise after being chosen at No 1 the 2008 draft, named Rookie of the Yr in 2008-09 and making three All-Star groups.
In 2011, he grew to become the youngest MVP in NBA historical past, on the age of twenty-two years and 7 months.
LeBron, Curry pay tribute as followers flock to attend
Rose wiped tears from his eyes as former team-mates, together with Luol Deng, made opening remarks, whereas a video performed on the scoreboard included messages from LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Rose spoke in entrance of a sold-out crowd, honouring household and colleagues as effectively the supporters who had lined up exterior hours earlier than tip-off in chilly temperatures.
A black T-shirt with Rose’s identify and quantity on the again was draped on each seat within the area, whereas Bulls gamers wore the identical shirt for his or her pre-game warm-ups.
Rose mentioned: “It was about everybody that found ways to come to my games. That somehow, we had some type of vibration that connected. It is no coincidence that all this is going on, and the people that watched me play showed up today.”
‘Rose is one among us, enjoying for the town he loves’
Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf instructed ESPN final week: “We wanted to honour Rose but we wanted to take the time to actually really plan something really, really special.
“I assume we may have performed it final 12 months, however I really feel like that is the appropriate strategy to do it. Give him time to arrange and provides us time to ramp as much as the massive day.”
Reinsdorf added on the night: “Regardless that we did not win a championship, our followers did really love that period of Chicago Bulls basketball.
“Derrick, he’s Chicago-born. He’s one of us. He was playing for the city, the city that he grew up in and that he loved and he cared so much about.”
