Who was Derrick Rose?
A comet? A eligible Hall of Famer? The biggest “What If” in recent NBA history?
It certainly was one of the most electrifying players of the second decade of 2000. And one of those that warmed my heart personally. Before that April 2012, I was convinced that he would be the one to seize Bryant’s legacy as an ambassador for the NBA.
His career didn’t go as everyone thought, but it certainly was sensational. The Bulls haven’t seen such a high level in the playoffs (the 2011 Conference Finals, the year of the MVP) since Michael Jordan.
And for this reason the Bulls have decided that today, January 24, ’26, his number 1 will be raised on the ceiling of the United Center. Alongside Jordan and Pippen.
What follows are five moments that made Derrick Rose a source of inspiration for me and strengthened the high esteem I have for him.
HE DRAFT
June 26, 2008. I didn’t see that Draft live, but they did a repeat the following day on an Italian television network that also covered the NBA at the time. And I remember David Stern when he announced it.
The first thought I had was “This is scary.”
The 2008 – 2009 season confirmed this. He was a total player, and the most incredible thing was that he wouldn’t stop growing. I saw him live win the World Championship in Türkiye, with Team USA.
I saw him grow again in that 2010-11 season, scoring a driving buzzer beater on Christmas Day against the Lakers, with Gasol’s hand in his face. Until he won the MVP and led Chicago to the Conference Finals against Miami.
IL BUZZER BEATER
The highlight that remains in my heart and I revisit sporadically. March 7, 2012. Before the apocalypse of Game 1 against the Sixers. Rose dribbles, dribbles and disorientates Brandon Jennigs. The buzzer beater scores which brings Chicago to 106 – 104. The icy calm of someone who knows he is the reigning MVP, the youngest ever.
DERRICK ROSE A MILANO
Fresh from two nightmare seasons, Rose came to Milan for a promotional tour. It was July 7, 2013. He appeared confident and serene. But none of us can know what it means for a player like him to fight those challenges. Being among the greatest in the NBA, then finding yourself fighting an injury that hasn’t come back for almost two years. Continuous knee problems, the explosiveness that had made him Rose is now a glimmer.
That day it was incredibly hot, Piazza Duomo was packed with people. There was also Rudy Gay, fresh from moving from Memphis to Toronto and destined (it seemed) to take over the Raptors. When I saw Rose arrive, I started to tremble with emotion. He was the player who excited me the most and I saw him there, a few meters away. Returning on the train home, I couldn’t help but smile when I thought that such a myth is not always encountered.
50 POINTS!
Then began a series of jersey changes, which began in June 2016. To be precise, a few days after the legendary Game 7 between Cleveland and Golden State.
They gave a friend of mine Rose’s tank top for her birthday and I said to her “Nice gift, I love Derrick!”. Too bad that a week later, the black red 1 was out of fashion. Superseded by the blue-orange 25, with the sale of Rose to the New York Knicks. That first period in New York wasn’t even that bad, but it was the prelude to the terrible Cavaliers experience and the sale to the Jazz, with consequent cut. How painful for me to see him increasingly headed towards basketball oblivion.
Then came Minnesota.
The 50 point game will remain in my eyes for the tears with which Derrick ended the game. He showed the world his humanity, his were tears of encouragement for those who faced sporting challenges with their heads held high, trying to stay focused on the goal without showing off too much. I put them like Jordan’s tears at his first title, 1991. Even greats are human.
DERRICK ROSE AND CHESS
One point in common with Derrick Rose is the love of chess. This game has fascinated me for years and it is a mirror, for many athletes and NBA playerslife and relationships with the surrounding world. I admit that when I discovered that Derrick Rose also plays chess I was very happy: one of the players who thrilled me the most dedicated himself to one of my favorite activities. How can I not include him in my personal basketball elite?
Then, the reason for choosing Derrick Rose strengthened my belief that I was right to always root for him. Chess gave him a way to start again after 2012, it changed his perspective on the game. They led him to be the experienced veteran who went on to score 50 points with the Timberwolves.
Derrick Rose’s greatness was his humility. To know that you are strong, but not to allow him to feel superior. Be a leader, but without needing to show it. Knowing that something was wrong and listening to his well-being first, during the years of his knee injuries, than to the incessant marketing voices that wanted him to be ready to return immediately.
In the end, who was Derrick Rose? A humble man who did what needed to be done. And we can only thank him for this.
