All Chicago Bulls fans love Derrick Rose and everything he did for the team.
Michael Jordan is one of the few Bulls players more beloved by the loyal fanbase.
That’s why Rose’s recent comments about his choice for GOAT are so surprising.
Rose said that Jordan isn’t his GOAT and that honor goes to one of MJ’s biggest opponents: Isiah Thomas.
“I mean, my GOAT now is Isiah Thomas because he’s from Chicago. The only guy who beat Magic, Mike, and Bird all in their prime at 6-3. I used to say MJ, but it wasn’t MJ… I’m not a two-guard. I don’t score like him at all. So it was just me admiring his story,” Rose said.
Derrick Rose shocked fans with his NBA GOAT pick, and it wasn’t Michael Jordan.
The youngest MVP in league history revealed in an interview with Hoops Hype that his personal GOAT is Isiah Thomas, not MJ.
"I mean, my GOAT now is Isiah Thomas because he's from Chicago. The only… pic.twitter.com/DNh5wioC8z
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 1, 2025
Jordan’s story is definitely incredible, and the impact he had on the Bulls is unquestionable.
No matter what happens or what Rose says, Jordan will forever be the team’s most important figure.
But Thomas is also from Chicago, and Rose believes he deserves more love.
His view has been influenced by the sort of basketball that he played.
He relates to two-way guards like Thomas and can see himself in his game more than in Jordan’s.
Now that he’s out of the league, he can spend time reflecting on everything he did and how he compares to the men who played before him.
He still respects Jordan and loves his life story and his influence on the rest of the league, but he is no longer his GOAT.
To Rose, Thomas is a better example of “Chicago’s way,” and he is the epitome of what a basketball legend can be.
As mentioned, Bulls fans love Rose, but these words about Jordan and Thomas are going to stir the pot because they created one of the fiercest rivalries in all of NBA history.
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