Derrick Rose and his son PJ could not hold back their tears as the Chicago Bulls legend addressed his family while being honored at United Center on Saturday.
The Bulls honored Rose, who recently announced his retirement, on January 4 with Chicago and the visiting New York Knicks wearing warmups with the date 1.4.25 – the numbers he wore for the Bulls, Knicks, and Simeone Career Academy, respectively.
Additionally, the team unveiled the Derrick Rose Atrium Experience to spotlight unique memorabilia from his time in the NBA.
During halftime, Rose took to center court to address the fans. In his remarks, Rose highlighted their running joke in his family.
‘That’s a joke that we have in the house. If they see me lacking on something, they say, ‘Dad, you wanna be good or great?’ Rose said.
‘And that make me remember, I’m trying to be great,’ he said as he turned toward PJ. ‘You hear me? Great.’
Derrick Rose was honored at halftime during the Bulls-Knicks game in Chicago’s United Center
The camera then turned to his 11-year-old junior as tears ran down his cheeks. PJ was also wearing his dad’s iconic Bulls jersey.
Rose walked out to chants of ‘MVP’ during the ceremony as residents of the Windy City gathered to honor his achievements.
Hours before the game, Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf announced the franchise’s plans to retire Rose’s jersey during the 2025-26 season.
In a conversation on the Bulls’ social media, Rose fell to tears after hearing the franchise’s plans to hang his number in the rafters.
‘I’m telling you right now, next year, when we retire your number in the rafters, it’s gonna be more about you than the fans,’ Reinsdorf told Rose after addressing his humility.
‘Nobody’s wearing that number one jersey again unless PJ is a Bull,’ he continued as Rose tried to contain his emotions. ‘Derrick, we love you. We appreciate everything you’ve done for Chicago and you’re a special person.
‘You’re adding one more up there,’ Rose excitedly responded.
Rose’s No 1 will be the fifth number to be retired by the franchise alongside Jerry Sloan’s No 4, Bob Love’s No 10, Michael Jordan’s No 23, and Scottie Pippen’s No 33.
Rose, who became the youngest NBA MVP with the Bulls, announced his retirement in 2024
The Knicks and Bulls wore 1.4.25 warmup shirts to honor Rose’s previous jersey numbers
The Bulls drafted the explosive point guard with the first overall pick in 2008; three years later, he became the youngest player to win the NBA MVP award.
His MVP season ended with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance where the Bulls lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
A three-time All-Star, Rose remained in Chi-Town until 2016 despite knee injuries derailing his extraordinary career.
He went on to have stints with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Pistons, and Grizzlies before hanging up his basketball shoes in 2024.
