Derrick Rose was greeted to a rousing ovation from the Chicago crowd when he took the floor for the first time on Thursday night, adding to the nostalgia for Bulls fans after Joakim Noah was honored before the game.
Julius Randle, Rose’s current teammate, thinks the Bulls should, and will, give Rose much more of an acknowledgement than a standing ovation when Rose decides to call it a career.
“That’s the legacy that you want. There’s no reason Derrick shouldn’t have his name in the rafters when he’s done playing,” Randle said after he and Rose helped New York to a 104-103 win on Thursday. “I was talking about that earlier…you’re gonna have your number up there next to [Michael Jordan], that’s insane.”
Rose became the youngest player in league history to win the MVP award during his time with the Bulls, where he blossomed into a star before injuries altered the course of an incredibly promising career. But Rose has found new life with the Knicks, and even before catching his second wind in New York, was widely respected around the league and is beloved in his hometown of Chicago.
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“That’s the legacy and culture that you want to build…building something from the ground up, the success, the ups and downs, all that s**t man,” Randle said. “That means something. Everybody’s gonna be financially secure and be able to do that, but at the end of the day, it’s about the legacy, it’s about the game. Its about winning.”
Those Bulls teams, under Tom Thibodeau, were never able to make it to the NBA Finals, but represented the strongest core of players since the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen days, which Randle believes should be acknowledged forever at the United Center.
“Those guys have put their imprint here in Chicago,” Randle said. Taj [Gibson], Joakim, Derrick, all those dudes. That’s something that’s gonna last forever. It’s pretty sweet to see.”
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