It’s late September, and NBA preseason is just days away. Over the past few days, I’ve been working on something about the Dallas Mavericks’ summer moves, but this morning, Chicago’s own Derrick Rose announced his retirement after a 16-year career, and that news deserved attention.
I will always remember exactly what I was doing when NBA Commissioner David Stern said, “With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.” It was a special moment, not just for the city, but for Bulls fans everywhere. Rose wasn’t just any pick. He was *our* guy—born and raised in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. There was something poetic about Jerry Reinsdorf and the Bulls front office drafting someone from the city, someone who had grown up idolizing the team, walking the same streets as generations of Chicagoans. Reinsdorf has a history of giving local talent a shot, and bringing in Rose felt like a homecoming.
For Chicagoans, it wasn’t just about basketball. It was about pride — one of our own leading our team. Rose was expected to be the kind of superstar who could carry the Bulls to their first title since the Jordan era. And for a while, it seemed like he might. But then came that devastating moment in 2012, when he tore his left ACL in the first game of the playoffs. That injury changed everything.
Rose’s career became a story of “what if.” Before the injury, his single-game averages were stellar:
37 minutes played, 3.9 free throws, 6.7 assists, and 20.9 points on 46.8% shooting (Courtesy Basketball Reference).
After the injury, those numbers dipped noticeably:
26.5 minutes played, 2.3 free throws, 4.2 assists, and 15.1 points on 44.8% shooting (Courtesy Basketball Reference).
The injury derailed his career and shifted the course of his life. One day, you’re an MVP, leading the league in electrifying play. The next, you’re fighting just to stay on the court. Unfortunately, this isn’t a unique story in the NBA. Take Lonzo Ball, for instance, who is expected to return this season. In 2022, Lonzo was expected to be the point guard to help bring the Bulls back to playoff relevance, but he, too, was derailed by knee injuries. Ball has been sidelined ever since and is expecting to return at some point in 2024-2025.
Like Rose, Ball was supposed to be a game-changer for the Bulls — a playmaker with elite court vision and defensive ability who could elevate the team. But knee injuries have kept him off the court for over two years now, and it’s hard not to draw parallels between their stories. Both had incredible potential, both were sidelined just as they were hitting their stride, and both left fans wondering, “What could have been?”
What makes Rose’s story particularly emotional is the connection he had to Chicago. He wasn’t just another player drafted by the Bulls — he was the hometown hero. Fans wanted to see him succeed not only because of his talent but because he *belonged* to the city in a way that few athletes do. That’s part of why Rose’s MVP season in 2010-2011 was so special. He became the youngest player in NBA history to win the MVP award at just 22 years old, leading the Bulls to the best record in the league. He wasn’t just living his dream; he was living the dream of every kid in Chicago who grew up playing basketball on the blacktops.
But the injury cast a long shadow over that dream. And though Rose fought valiantly to recover, he was never quite the same player after 2012. Still, he never stopped trying. After his time in Chicago ended in 2015, he reunited with his old coach, Tom Thibodeau, first in Minnesota and then later with the New York Knicks. Thibodeau always believed in Rose, even when others doubted whether he could still contribute at a high level.
That belief paid off. In 2018, Rose reminded the basketball world of his brilliance when he scored 50 points in a game for the Timberwolves. It was a triumphant moment that brought tears to his eyes and to those of fans who had followed his journey. It was proof that even though injuries had robbed him of his prime, his heart and determination were still there.
For Chicago fans, seeing Rose fight his way back to relevance after all those setbacks felt familiar. The city loves an underdog, and though Rose’s career didn’t go exactly as planned, he never gave up. That resilience is something Lonzo Ball may need to draw from as he faces his own uncertain future. Knee injuries can be career-altering, and Ball’s long recovery timeline brings back memories of Rose’s struggle. But if Rose’s career has shown us anything, it’s that the love for the game, the grit to keep pushing forward, can lead to moments of redemption—even if they don’t come in the form of championships.
Here’s the thing folks: Derrick Rose may not have brought a title back to Chicago, but he brought something just as valuable — hope, excitement, and a deep connection to the city that will be remembered for years to come. His journey, from the blacktops of Englewood to the heights of MVP glory and through the trials of injury, is one that Chicagoans will carry with them, just like we carry the memory of that fateful night in 2008 when our hometown kid became the future of the Bulls.
With that… Derrick Rose will always be seen as the rising hometown star who never bloomed!
If you cannot play with them, then root for them.