What Do We Do About the Derrick Rose Number Situation?
On Oct. 17, 2016, the Chicago Bulls traded former first-round draft pick Tony Snell to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for point guard Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams chose #1, and let the fans know by posting a Photoshopped image of himself on Instagram donning the former MVP’s number, just one year after Rose was traded to the New York Knicks. Immediately after Carter-Williams posted his new number, Bulls/Rose fans expressed their displeasure with it on social media. Carter-Williams expressed that he was asked which number he wanted, so he simply chose the number he had worn with the Philadelphia 76ers where he was Rookie of the Year. Not wanting to cause friction with the fan base, MCW switched his number to #7 to end any tension.
At the Feb. 23 trade deadline of 2017, the Bulls acquired sharpshooter Anthony Morrow from the Oklahoma City thunder in a five-player trade. Morrow, who wore #2 with OKC, chose #1. Morrow sported the #1 for one game, however he did not play. Fans once again expressed their displeasure with Morrow, just like they did with MCW. Morrow expressed that it was a mistake, and that he did not even think about it but understood the frustration from the fans because Derrick Rose means a lot to the city of Chicago. He later willingly switched his number to #11.
Given the scrutiny that the Bulls front office always seems to be under, shouldn’t Morrow have been warned when he picked this number? Four months earlier, the fans were upset that the Bulls would allow a player to wear this number, yet the front office did nothing the second time. This brings us to this question:
Should the Bulls retire Derrick Rose’s #1?
Currently the Bulls have 4 numbers retired:
Jerry Sloan — #4
Sloan played for the Bulls from 1966–1976. In 10 seasons in Chicago, Sloan averaged 14.3 points per game, with his best season-average being 18.3 in 80 games during the 1970–1971 NBA Season.
Bob Love — #10
Love played for the Bulls from 1968–1977. Love averaged 19.4 points per game over his career with the Bulls, including 25.8 per game in 1971–1972.
Michael Jordan — #23
The greatest player in NBA history spent 13 seasons with the Bulls, averaging 30.7 points per game. MJ was both a six-time champion and a six-time finals MVP. He was five-time NBA MVP and made 12 All Star Games with the Bulls along with a laundry list of other honors.
Scottie Pippen — #33
In 12 seasons with the Bulls (two stints), Pippen averaged 15.4 points per game alongside Michael Jordan. Pippen was a six-time Champion and a seven-time All-Star as a Bull.
Derrick Rose — #1 -?
Rose spent eight years in his hometown, although he only played in seven seasons. During his time as a Bull, Rose averaged 19.2 points per game while earning the 2008–2009 NBA Rookie of the Year, as well as becoming the youngest MVP in league history. Although his career was riddled with various injuries, Rose was still a three-time NBA all-star. A Chicago kid who wanted nothing more than to win, and to win for his city, Rose was unable to reach his goal in Chicago. Rose was traded to the New York Knicks before the 2016 NBA Draft.
Comparing stats to the Bulls other four retired numbers, #1 should not be worn by any other player moving forward. A career that has been surrounded by “what ifs” was still a good one. Rose deserves the respect from the Bulls organization for bringing them back to relevance after their ’90s championship run. Although there still may be bad blood from the front office towards Rose at the moment, the former league MVP would be welcomed back by the fans with open arms down the road.
