The Chicago Bulls will honor their former franchise star Derrick Rose by retiring his No. 1 jersey. The ceremony will take place during the 2025-26 season.
The Bulls made the announcement shortly before having Rose as their special guest for the home game against the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Rose will become only the fifth Bulls player to have his jersey retired, following Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen.
“Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Retiring a jersey recognizes a player’s impact beyond on-court achievements. It honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and forged deep, lasting connections with fans. It recognizes that emotional bond and the great influence a player has had on the team and organization’s identity.”
At the halftime of the Knicks game, the Bulls played a tribute video dedicated to Rose and gave him the opportunity to address the fans.
“Thank you Chicago for forcing me to be great,” Rose said. “For putting those expectations on me.”
The Bulls drafted Derrick Rose, who is a Chicago native, with the No. 1 overall pick in 2008. Rose immediately took the league by storm, earning Rookie of the Year honors and becoming an NBA All-Star in his sophomore season. He followed that up by becoming an MVP in 2011, becoming the youngest recipient of the award in league history, while leading the Bulls to the Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Rose from maintaining his status as one of the best players in basketball later in his career. He tore his meniscus twice and suffered an ACL tear, among other injuries. Rose left Chicago in 2016 and later played with the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies before retiring in September.
