Derrick Rose has immortalized his presence at the United Center in Chicago. Having announced his retirement in 2024, Rose waited over a year for the Chicago Bulls to retire his jersey at their home arena. The whole event turned into an emotional ordeal, especially as Rose addressed the venue.
And though fans and other NBA players spoke about how special the former All-Star is, Rose’s emotional moment with his son was the highlight of the day.
Derrick Rose’s Heartfelt Moment With Son at Jersey Retirement in Chicago
At the jersey retirement ceremony — which was held during their game against the Boston Celtics — Rose addressed the crowd and viewers while his family sat with him. Rose’s son, London, though, ended up stealing the show.
An emotional London couldn’t hold back his tears during the retired NBA star’s speech. Rose chose to speak to London directly, asking his son not to cry as he assured him with words of affirmation.
“Look, don’t cry, I’m talking to you,” Rose said. “You, my big boy, don’t cry, look at me. I love your heart, I love how independent you are, I love how self-sufficient you are. Who taught you how to tie your shoe? It was you. Who taught you how to ride a bike? Yourself. You are so blessed and so powerful.”
London didn’t stop, trying his best to respond positively to his father’s words. His sister and mother were also crying, making it an overall emotional affair.
However, what made Rose cry was Luol Deng speaking of their time together as teammates. Apart from Deng, former coach Tom Thibodeau, Taj Gibson, and Joakim Noah also talked about Rose’s legendary career in Chicago.
ALSO READ: LeBron James Reveals What Makes Derrick Rose So Special in Heartfelt Message to Bulls Icon
Rose Opened Up About Persistent Mental Health Issues During NBA Career
Though one of the most successful Bulls players of all time, Ross admitted to going through extreme anxiety during his career.
“Being nervous before every game, not being able to sleep the night before every game, the anxiety, the pressure or the burden of wanting to play a perfect game within a structure that’s not meant to be played perfect. It was stress, it was a lot of stress. But at the same time being from Chicago I think I was built for it. If only people knew,” Rose told Bulls reporter K.C. Johnson ahead of his jersey retirement.
Rose has been open about his off-court struggles, admitting that playing ball often brought him issues. However, despite his struggles, Rose has enjoyed a stellar statistical time with the Bulls.
He averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds over 406 games for the Bulls. A three-time NBA All-Star and 2009 Rookie of the Year, Rose played for six teams (Bulls, Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies) before announcing his retirement in 2024.