It had all the makings of a Hollywood story when the Bulls fell into lottery luck and drafted the great comet out of Englewood in 2008, but a knee injury sidetracked Rose and his legacy. On Thursday morning, he retired after 16 pro seasons.
Witnessing a great comet is a rarity.
A celestial body that burns so brightly that it can be seen by all without a telescope as it lights up the sky.
And then it doesn’t. It eventually fades and disappears completely.
That’s what Derrick Rose was for the city of Chicago. A once great comet that erupted out of the Englewood area, gave the Bulls organization light that it didn’t have for over a decade, and burned bright for four years.
Then it all but faded into darkness.
On Thursday, for the last time.
After requesting a buyout of the final year of his contract with Memphis on Monday, Rose, 35, announced that he was retiring from the NBA after 16 seasons.
Not a surprise at all considering what an afterthought he became on three different rosters since the 2020 season, and now for Rose the final chapter of his legacy is no longer in his once very dynamic hands.
Did he leave enough of an impact on the Bulls to have his No. 1 jersey retired? Is he statue worthy? And the big one: Did he do enough to earn a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame?
All tricky to answer.
