The Chicago Bulls are honoring Derrick Rose’s career on Saturday night at the United Center, and Rose has expressed his desire to see his iconic No. 1 jersey retired by the Bulls someday.
Born and raised in Chicago, Rose was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Bulls. He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and became the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 years old in 2011. That same season, he led the Bulls to 62 wins, earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and made it to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the Michael Jordan era.
However, Rose’s career was faced with major injuries. He suffered a torn ACL in the 2012 playoffs, forcing him to miss the entire 2012–2013 season to recover. Despite the setback, he came back the following season and helped lead the Bulls to the playoffs. One of his most memorable highlights came in 2015 when he hit a buzzer-beater to give the Bulls a 2-1 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rose would end up playing eight seasons with the Bulls before being traded to the New York Knicks in 2016.
Rose officially retired in 2024, concluding a 15-season NBA career. He finished with career totals of 12,573 points, 2,234 rebounds, 3,770 assists, and 536 steals in 723 games. After his time with the Bulls, he also played for the Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Rose is considered a Bulls legend, and many fans believe his No. 1 jersey should be retired by the franchise. Although other players have attempted to wear No. 1 since Rose’s departure, they ultimately switched to different numbers following fan backlash. Both Rose and his fans feel that retiring his jersey would solidify his legacy in NBA history.
"I would love that."
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 3, 2025
Derrick Rose says he wants his jersey retired by the Bulls ❤️
(via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/Kr9kTTHZFm
Updated January 4, 2025: The Chicago Bulls have announced that they will retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 during the 2025-2026 season.
OFFICIAL: The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose's number during the 2025-26 NBA season. No other player will ever wear the number 1 for the Chicago Bulls.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 4, 2025
Number 1 will always be from Chicago. pic.twitter.com/s7z3J030WA
