It was a cold, snowy night in Chicago as the Bulls faced the Boston Celtics, with Derrick Rose. After the Bulls won 115-111 thanks to a game-winning three-pointer by Kevin Huerter, the moment everyone was waiting for came.
Rose's famed No. 1 was unveiled to the rafters of the United Center before an adoring crowd. With family, friends, and former teammates and coaches on hand, they pushed the button, and there was Rose's jersey.
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It marked a whole period of publicity aimed at building excitement for Rose's ceremony. In the process, Rose joined alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan, and Bob Love as the only Chicago players to have their jerseys retired.
From 2008-2016, Rose gave his all to his hometown. Born in Englewood in 1988, he grew up immersed in Chicago's famed basketball culture. Certainly, he witnessed the Bulls' 1990s dynasty. Then he attended the famed Simeon Academy, which produced the likes of Ben Wilson, Nick Anderson, DeMarcus Cousins, and others.
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It was there that Rose wore No.25 in honor of the late Wilson. It is tradition for the top player at Simeon to wear No.25. Afterward, he attended the University of Memphis. In 2008, he was drafted by the Bulls.
The following year, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Rose was the NBA MVP and led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. In his later years, injuries began to take a toll, greatly diminishing his once-great potential.
Nevertheless, Chicago’s love endures and is now forever immortalized in the rafters.