Derrick Rose stunned the basketball community with his decision to retire merely a few weeks before the 2024-2025 season began. However, he received a lot of love from several personalities of the NBA fraternity. Scottie Pippen was among the many to congratulate the Chicago Bulls legend on a distinguished career.
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Pippen expressed his admiration for Rose through a heartfelt social media post. On X, the six-time NBA champ posted a montage of the best moments from the point guard’s remarkable career while also penning down a beautiful message. In the same message, Pip acknowledged Rose for being the heart of Chicago while also dubbing him as the “most resilient” ever.
Further, the Hall of Famer touched upon D-Rose’s career in brief, stating that the latter’s journey was “never just about the highlights.” Instead, the youngest MVP in league history was recognized for his intangibles.
“Derrick Rose—Chicago’s own, the MVP, the heart of the city. From the youngest MVP to one of the most resilient to ever lace ‘em up, you put on for the Bulls like a true legend. Your journey was never just about the highlights; it was about the heart, the hustle, and the way you bounced back every time. The game won’t be the same without you, D. Rose. Respect forever.”
Derrick Rose—Chicago’s own, the MVP, the heart of the city. From the youngest MVP to one of the most resilient to ever lace ‘em up, you put on for the Bulls like a true legend. Your journey was never just about the highlights; it was about the heart, the hustle, and the way you… pic.twitter.com/IGqs1mph4P
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) September 28, 2024
Rose’s injury-riddled career restricted him to accomplish a lot less – three All-Star selections, one All-NBA Team, and the 2011 MVP – than what he was destined for.
However, he played the biggest role in revolutionizing Chicago basketball following the dismantling of Michael Jordan and Co. in 1998. D-Rose first brought Chicago hoops back on the map for his contributions to Simeon High School. Even though he spent his college years playing for the University of Memphis, he made a return to Chicago after being drafted by the Bulls as the #1 pick of the 2008 Draft.
An eight-year stint with the Bulls witnessed Rose averaging 19.7 points and 6.2 assists per game. Additionally, he led the organization to make seven straight postseason appearances, reaching the conference semifinals twice and the conference finals during his MVP year in 2011. Unfortunately, Rose never returned to play for the Bulls since his departure in 2016.
Even though he wasn’t able to retire in Chicago, the 35-year-old made peace with his decision. Per ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Rose seemed to have taken comfort in the fact that he played the game at his highest level for 16 seasons.
“He’s taking some comfort in the fact that he gave it his all. He gave basketball everything for 16 seasons. And now he feels like he needs to give that to his kids, to his family, is what he told me… So he’s just taking a little step back here, making a little bit more time for his family. And I think that’s something that all of us really can appreciate.”
Since the late 2000s, Rose has been entertaining fans around the world with his display on the hardwood. It’ll now be interesting to follow his post-retirement journey and how he uses his platform to give back to society.
