Derrick Rose’s time in Chicago is littered with What Ifs and open-ended questions.
It’s also littered with fond memories.
From being named the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011, to the litany of eye-popping highlights he produced, Rose will always hold a special place in the hearts of Bulls fans for his on-court exploits — even if his tenure didn’t produce a title.
But longtime Bulls reporter K.C. Johnson said on the latest Bulls Talk Podcast that his favorite Rose moment of all time didn’t come on the court. It was when, with great emotion, Rose personally thanked his mother Brenda for all she’d done for him while accepting his MVP trophy on May 2, 2011.
“What you need to understand about Derrick is not just what he meant to the Bulls, but what he represented to the city of Chicago,” Johnson said. “And in that moment, when he turned to his mother, Brenda, and tearfully described what Brenda meant to him, their bond, her example, her influence, as if they were the only two people in the room. It still to this day gets me either emotional or gets the hair on my arms. To this day, it was one of the most powerful moments I’ve witnessed being a sports writer.
“And I think it also needs to be placed in the context of what’s going on in the league. About [time periodTK] later, Kevin Durant did the same thing to his mother in Oklahoma City. And the vibe, all you heard at that time was, ‘Look at how the NBA is being represented by this incredible set of young stars with such wonderful perspective. And Derrick was at the forefront of that.
NBA
And that’s what I always say about that speech when people say he wasn’t a good public speaker. Shame on you, man. Go watch that speech. That’s him showing pure love to somebody that meant more to him than anything in the world. He doesn’t care about your opinion about him. He cares about the opinion of people who are important to him and value him. He doesn’t care if you are a detractor of his game, he cares about real stuff. And in that moment I think you saw Derrick Rose and what his mother’s example in the context of the city of Chicago and its reputation all meant to him. I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed.”
Johnson, host Jason Goff and Rob Schaefer break down the evolution of Rose’s career, what he means to Chicago and several notable hypotheticals (e.g. his Hall of Fame odds, and if the Bulls would have won a title if he’d stayed healthy) on the show.
Listen to it here, via the embedded player above or wherever you get your podcasts.
NBC Sports Chicago will honor the Bulls great with “Derrick Rose Week presented by Saint Xavier University” starting up Monday, June 8 at 7:00 PM CT with the first of five-straight nights of “Classic” game performances. See full schedule here.
Bulls Talk Podcast
Subscribe:
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Bulls easily on your device.