Raised By The City, Raised To The Rafters: Chicago Bulls Retire Derrick Rose's No.1 Jersey

Last Updated:January 25, 2026, 15:52 IST

The Chicago Bulls retired Derrick Rose's No. 1 jersey, honoring him alongside Michael Jordan and others.

Hometown hero D-Rose got his jersey retired in Chicago by the Bulls (AP)

Derrick Rose figured he would experience all sorts of emotions when he saw his banner hang from the rafters — and they started flowing long before the moment arrived.

The Chicago Bulls retired his No. 1 following their win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.

Rose joined Michael Jordan (23), Scottie Pippen (33), Jerry Sloan (4) and Bob Love (10) as the only players whose numbers have been retired by the team.

He shed tears during emotional speeches by former teammates Taj Gibson, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah and by coach Tom Thibodeau. He got choked up when he addressed his mother and older brothers as well as his wife, two sons and daughter. There were hugs and smiles, too, when the banner was unveiled.

Rose had already gotten a glimpse at it. On Friday, the Bulls posted a video on social media of him seeing it for the first time.

Rose said seeing the banner was “unreal." But it hadn’t really sunk in.

“All this, the moment, I’m still trying to take in, I’m still trying to process in real time," he said. “It’s huge, so it’s something that I’m grateful for."

On Saturday, there were black Rose jerseys at each seat. The Bulls posted a video from Jordan and Pippen congratulating him. Rose left roses from his flower shop — Rose’s Flower Shop — in both teams’ locker rooms before the game.

This isn’t the first time the team honoured Rose. The Bulls did it when they played New York on Jan. 4, 2025, symbolising the date, the numbers he wore with the Bulls, the Knicks, and Chicago’s Simeon Career Academy.

That same day, the Bulls announced they would retire Rose’s jersey.

Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, went from being Rookie of the Year to an All-Star to NBA MVP in his first three seasons. He remains the league’s youngest MVP, winning it when he was 22.

A major knee injury during the 2012 playoffs forced him to miss almost two full seasons, and he contemplated stepping away from the game several times following other injury issues.

Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 regular-season games. He averaged 21 points per game before the ACL tear 12 years ago and 15.1 per game in the seasons that followed. But he doesn’t dwell on what might have been.

At 37, Rose is more focused on his family and business interests, such as an online flower shop and hiring people from the city. Or his work promoting participation in chess, particularly among at-risk youngsters.

(with agency inputs)

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