Detroit Pistons legend and Chicago native Isiah Thomas says Derrick Rose lived out every Chicago kid’s dream by playing for his hometown Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls drafted Rose with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 Draft. He won Rookie of the Year in 2009 and became the youngest MVP in NBA history during the 2010-11 season, when the Bulls had the best record in the NBA and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the latest episode of Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, Thomas talked about what Rose means to the city of Chicago:
“D-Rose is our one,” Isiah Thomas said about Derrick Rose. “It's hard to put into words what he really means cuz he really lived all our dreams. Every one of us grew up wanting to say, ‘And now, from Chicago!' With the uniform, runnin' out.
“D-Rose got to live all our dreams. And not only did he get to live it, he became the MVP of the league. So everything that we wanted, he's doing it. But not only is he doing it, he including us. He ain't fake. He ain't walking by me like, ‘Yo, what's up.' He’s walking by me like, ‘Hey, Isiah!' It's still Chicago love. It ain't like he left home.
“So for him to be doing that in Chicago and then be named the MVP, dunking on everybody, having that attitude where he's just like, ‘I ain't gotta say it, but you know what I'm bringing.' “
Rose finished his Bulls career with averages of 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists. He is still the most popular Bulls player in the post-Michael Jordan era.
Derrick has played as a visitor at the United Center four times since the Bulls traded him to the New York Knicks in the summer of 2016. Rose has gotten MVP chants and standing ovations the last three games, but he was booed in his first return back with the Knicks.
He's on the rival Pistons now, but Rose is still loved in Chicago and by Bulls fans. That will never change.
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