Y’all, Derrick Rose looks really happy. He’s been in his hometown Chicago for the past week, receiving well-deserved flowers from family, friends, city officials, his alma mater Simeon Career Academy and thousands of fans who have stuck by him through thick and thin. The marathon week of celebration will culminate into a bittersweet farewell tonight as the Chicago Bulls send Rose into retirement with a tribute during the nationally-televised game against the New York Knicks.
While Rose received unyielding love from the public this week, he also leaned heavily into giving flowers to the people. The 36-year-old son of Englewood gave back to neighborhoods across Chicago every chance he got. With his family and kids by his side on Jan. 3, Rose stopped by Englewood’s Growing Home, an urban farm that provides thousands of pounds of food to local farmers and food pantries. The farm is set to be the location for “The Rose Garden,” an initiative encouraging pollination and improving mental health.
“Now that I’m older and retired, coming back and giving in unique ways like that is the goal now,” Rose told The TRiiBE in a press conference at the garden “This will always be home. I still got family that’s in Englewood. Whenever I do come here, I always drive through to see what’s changed and it’s always gonna have a special place in my heart.”
There to witness the unveiling of the garden was Rose’s best friend and former Chicago Bulls teammate Joakim Noah, an undeniable fan favorite amongst Bulls fans who, like Rose, also has found unique ways to give back to the community, like his One City Basketball League. Other notable attendees included fellow South Side native Chance the Rapper, Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
“It’s unbelievable to see his growth as an ambassador for the city,” Noah told The TRiiBE. “I’m just very proud to be here. I have my family here. I have my kids here. So we’re just here to support Derrick, his legacy, and everything he did for the city of Chicago and all the great memories.”
To Rose’s surprise, Johnson added to the day’s excitement by officially declaring Jan. 4, 2025 as “Derrick Rose Day” in the city of Chicago. Rose fought back tears as the crowd continued to cheer for his achievement.
“Your advocacy for not just your neighborhood, but for the city of Chicago has just been remarkable,” Johnson said during his presentation. “The Rose family and the neighborhood of Englewood is responsible for Derrick Rose, and much like how we have to continue to work together to make sure that our communities are thriving and excelling, that’s what this moment is about. That’s how we build a better, stronger, safer Chicago.”
The garden falls in line with Rose’s future goals. According to Adrienne Scherenzel, who oversees community relations and philanthropic outreach for the Chicago Bulls, Rose plans to open a flower shop in Chicago, in which his garden will hopefully be the main supplier.
That made “The Rose Garden” announcement the perfect follow-up to Rose’s Flower Shop, a one-day pop-up florist that took place in River North on Jan. 2. With the assistance of celebrated Black Chicago florist Planks & Pistils, the shop provided free flowers that came with a free delivery service — recipients started receiving their flowers as soon as the next day. Thousands of fans lined up around the building — stretching as far as about three city blocks — for a chance to see Rose, who took photos with fans on nostalgic polaroids serving as souvenirs. Fans picked out four roses, a leaf, and baby’s breath to be delivered to a person of their choice, as long as they live in Chicago. Everything was free of charge.
The turnout, coupled with the outpouring of love and support, showed the continued impact Rose has on fans in Chicago and worldwide. He came into the league heralded as a No. 1 overall pick in 2008, and played every game with a hunger that is rarely seen in the NBA today. Rose’s fearlessness was something in particular that Chicagoans related to throughout his career.
For Tim Flowers, who has been friends with Rose since second grade, witnessing his growth from a young boy to a father and basketball legend has been remarkable.
“It just lets you know the power of prayer, the power of God, the power of hard work, and the power of having a good heart, and that’s something Derrick always had,” said Flowers, Rose’s high school teammate who is now the head coach of the Simeon Career Academy’s boys varsity basketball team.
Throughout the week, fans and basketball enthusiasts have watched a different side of Rose blossom. Since he announced his retirement on Sept. 26, 2024, everybody has seen a much more open and expressive D. Rose. Whether it be his Club 520 Podcast appearance in October, his ride down memory lane with Joakim Noah in a Chicago Bulls-produced video, or the witty social media advertisement for Rose’s Flower Shop, Rose is being more vulnerable in the beginning of his post career. We even saw clips of Rose and his eldest son P.J. Rose sitting rinkside Dec. 31 at the NHL Winter Classic game at Wrigley Field. They were mic’d, and fans were able to see and hear tender moments between the superstar and his son.
Also, Rose is moving into his mentorship era. He recently named Simeon as the first official “Derrick Rose School,” teaming up with Adidas to help inspire and create opportunities for the next generation.
Asked about the partnership between Rose, Adidas and the school, Simeon principal Tamara Ellis told The TRiiBE that Rose plans to mentor and provide support for not just the basketball team, but for all the young men at Simeon.
“We want to make sure he’s able to touch the lives of a lot of males, as many males as possible,” Ellis added. “He’s always available. So it’s not like he’s untouchable, and that’s the part I like about him, that he continues to carry that with him, that ‘I’m available.’”
In a penultimate celebration to end his basketball career, Rose returned to the home court where his superstar journey began. For “Derrick’s Last Game” on Jan. 3, Rose played alongside his 11-year-old son at Simeon.
Past and present Simeon players, and a talented group of middle schoolers, also played in the game that also brought out some NBA heavyweights. Watching along the sidelines were some of Rose’s former teammates — including Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller and Jeff Teague. Also in attendance were former Bulls players C.J. Watson, Tony Snell, Tony Allen, and current member of the Bulls and Simeon alumni, Talen Horton-Tucker.
WGCI’s DJ Hot Rod spun some of the hottest rap and hip hop on the 1’s and 2’s. Free pizza from Italian Fiesta was provided, along with water, chips, and a free candy stand called “Pooh’s Candy Shop.”
“He wanted to make sure he left a legacy on a positive note,” Ellis said. “We wanted to make sure on his last game, he played it in a space that was very special to him, and that’s here at the home gym.”
Rose ends his weeklong celebration tonight as the Chicago Bulls honor him with “Derrick Rose Night.” The Bulls will match up with the New York Knicks, another team Rose played for, creating the perfect setting for a tribute. Hours before the celebration, the Bulls announced plans to hang the former NBA MVP’s jersey in the rafters of the United Center next season.
The night will be the perfect end to a week where Rose not only got his flowers, but also gave them back to the city he loves.
“When you look up the word determination, it means to cause something to happen in a peculiar way, meaning that you have to make it happen for you,” Rose said to the packed crowd at Simeon for his last game. “Your mom not gon’ do it. Your dad not gon’ do it. They’re just going to believe. There’s nothing wrong with them believing in you; the only person who has to know is you.”
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