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The ceremony was intense. More than an hour after the final buzzer, nearly all the fans were still in their seats – a detail that says more than any statistic ever could.

Rose led the packed United Center crowd in the mantra he had repeated before every game since he was a child. Those were his final words before the banner was raised.

A bond that goes beyond the court

Derrick Rose was emotional from the very first moments. The opening speeches by Taj Gibson and Luol Deng set the tone for a night heavy with shared memory. Then came Rose’s speech: tears, thanks to his mother Brenda, his brothers, former teammates, and a city that never stopped seeing itself in him.

He reinforced that message during the ceremony, emphasizing how his relationship with the fans was built on something real – almost physical.

Rose alongside Jordan and Pippen

With the retirement of No. 1, Rose becomes just the fifth player in Bulls history to receive the honor, joining:

• Jerry Sloan (4)
• Bob Love (10)
• Michael Jordan (23)
• Scottie Pippen (33)

It’s a heavy list – and one that shows how Rose’s symbolic value transcended even the absence of an NBA title.

Chicago showed up – no matter what

Sub-zero temperatures, freezing wind – and yet lines formed outside the United Center hours before tip-off. On every seat, a black T-shirt with Rose’s name and number. The same shirt the Bulls wore during warmups.

Rose stepped onto the court about an hour before the game, shooting around with his son while family and former teammates gathered courtside. A simple image. A powerful one.

“MVP, MVP”: the chant that never left

The postgame ceremony opened with a Chicago orchestra playing “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project, the iconic Bulls anthem. The crowd took it from there, chanting “MVP, MVP” throughout the night.

Several players from the current roster – from Coby White to Josh Giddey, to rookie Noa Essengue – returned to the bench to watch the ceremony. A quiet but unmistakable passing of the torch.

Derrick Rose, the résumé (brief – but massive)

• No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
• Rookie of the Year (2008-09)
• 3× All-Star
• NBA MVP 2011, youngest ever
• 8 seasons in Chicago

Familiar numbers – but not enough on their own to explain why that jersey now hangs where it does.

“This is our championship”

Around 20 former teammates were in attendance: from Joakim Noah to Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Tom Thibodeau – long criticized by some as the cause of Rose’s devastating injury. A true reunion, starting the night before and lasting until sunrise.

Taj Gibson summed it all up with a line that hit home:

And maybe that’s the true meaning of the night: not regret, but a celebration of what was shared.

A legacy that remains

The Bulls had already honored Rose after his retirement early in the 2024-25 season, but they chose to wait to make this moment truly special. And it showed.

And in a city like Chicago, “forever” is not a word used lightly.