ROSE REPLANTED AND BLOOMING
EX-BULL IN NICE PLACE NOW WITH PISTONS, BUT LOVE FOR CHICAGO IS UNWILTING
Derrick Rose is healthy again. He’s happy, too. Now 31 and coming off the bench for the Pistons, he’s filled with perspective. “I’m piecing it together,” Rose said Friday. “When I was [in Chicago], I guess I didn’t have enough time to allow the city or the [front] office to see that. But I was still learning my rhythm. I was still learning who I was as a man — as a person, too — so I had a lot on my plate.
“Now that I’m here, I have three kids, I’m settled, I’m more mature now. I’m in a different state of mind and a different place in my life right now.”
To many Chicagoans, Rose remains a favorite son. Bulls fans gave him a standing ovation when he entered the game midway through the first quarter Friday night. He waved as a familiar chant swelled: “M-V-P! M-V-P!”
More cheers followed the first time he dribbled the ball up the court. A few minutes later, when Rose stood at the free-throw line to complete a three-point play, the “M-V-P!” chant returned.
The love is mutual.
“I grew up here,” said Rose, who now wears No. 25 to honor Ben Wilson, a fellow Simeon High School standout who was gunned down before he could chase his own NBA dreams. “I’m from the inner city. Everything I represent, I think about Chicago first.”
The Bulls could have tried to bring Rose back this offseason but instead looked elsewhere for depth at point guard. Rose has no hard feelings.
“I kind of had Detroit in my mind right when free agency opened up,” he said. “My relationship with [Pistons executive and former agent Arn Tellem] — that’s the reason why I signed so quickly . . . . I kind of felt like I owed it to him.
“It’s funny how when I get to Detroit, it’s kind of like here. It’s a hard-working town. Everybody appreciates the game. There’s a rich history of winning, and they’re used to a gritty way of playing. I think I represent that.”
Asked if he could see himself returning to the Bulls before his career is over, Rose chuckled. But he didn’t say no.
“You’ve probably got to ask [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] about that,” he said. “All of that is out of my hands.”
So is the possibility the Bulls could retire Rose’s No. 1.
“I mean, I’m from here,” Rose said. “Who wouldn’t want their jersey [hanging next to Michael Jordan’s] and everybody up there? But it’s not up to me to decide that.”
Regardless, Rose feels good. And he’s not apologizing for the way his Bulls tenure ended after a series of injuries, rehabs and declining play.
“I think when I was here, I was averaging like 15 or 16 [points per game], but you all wanted me to average 30,” he said. “It’s the honest truth. You all wanted me to play a certain type of way, but then to understand what I was going through at the time or whatever it is, it was just confusion.
“What I learned from it is that I had to stay true to myself, I had to listen to my body, and if I didn’t, [there’s] no way I would have got to Year 12 doing something for others. I had to think for myself and do things for myself and my family. And look where we’re at right now.”
Healthy. Happy.
“The biggest thing is I stayed true to myself,” he said. “I remained myself throughout all of this. There’s no way in hell I would have been here if I didn’t do that. I would have been out the league five or six years ago. My body would have been torn down — I would have just been out of it. So the biggest thing out of my story is remain yourself and stay true to yourself and listen to your body.” ✶