Slightly over a year after celebrating Derrick Rose Night, the Chicago Bulls have announced that Rose’s #1 jersey will be retired this coming January 24, 2026.

Rose will become just the sixth player to have his jersey retired, joining an elusive list that includes Jerry Sloan (#4), Bob Love (#10), Michael Jordan (#23), and Scottie Pippen (#33). He may not have won a championship for Chicago like Jordan and Pippen–the two most recent players to have their jerseys raised to the rafters–but his impact on the team and the city is unmistakable.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Rose charged out of the gates like a Bull seeing red. The Bulls made him the first overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft and he quickly rewarded their faith in him. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009 after averaging 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in his first season.

In the postseason, Chicago pushed the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round with Rose being a major reason why they managed to push the Celtics that far. Rose opened the series with a 36-point, 11-assist performance to lead the Bulls to an overtime victory. This marked the highest scoring playoff debut in league history

From that point on, he only continued to get better and grew astronomically. By his second year, he was an NBA All-Star and the following year, he was adjudged the league’s Most Valuable Player–the youngest player to ever win the award.

During his MVP campaign, Rose averaged 25 points, 1.3 three-pointers, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and a steal per game–all of which were career-highs. He led Chicago to a league-best 62-20 record and they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before bowing out against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Rose was spectacular throughout the season, putting up dazzling highlights night after night. However, that turned out to be the high point of his career. The following season, he was saddled by injuries before eventually tearing his ACL in the first round versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He would never be the same player again as he went on to miss the entirety of what would have been his fifth season in the league.

Once Rose returned, he was a mere shell of himself as the breathtaking athleticism that made him a special player was no longer there. He never averaged more than 18.1 points per game  in a season for the rest of his career as he bounced around from team to team after the Bulls traded him away in 2016.

While Rose is unlikely to make it to the Hall of Fame, his impact on Chicago—both the team and the city—is unquestionable. This jersey retirement is well deserved. A player’s success is not always measured in championships and Rose is one of those who is a perfect example of this. 

For a brief moment in time, Derrick Rose brought back the energy to the United Center and made this loyal fanbase believe once again.