Get the tissues ready, folks. Derrick Rose had Chicago in tears on his jersey retirement night.
The youngest MVP in NBA history got emotional talking about his relationship with Tom Thibodeau, the coach many blamed for his career-altering ACL injury. And D-Rose? He wasn't having any of that narrative.
"A lot of people don't like Thibs because of that... they look at Thibs as the injury," Rose said during the ceremony at the United Center. "But I'm here to say fuck that. Thibs was the first coach that made me feel special. I used to do shit in games just to make sure he saw on tape between me and him."
Let me tell you something, folks. That's loyalty. That's respect. That's a player defending the coach who pushed him to greatness, even when the whole world wants to blame someone for what happened.
The narrative around Thibodeau and Rose has been toxic for years. People say Thibs ran him into the ground. Say he played him too many minutes. Say the 2012 ACL tear was preventable if the coach had just been more careful.
Rose shut all that down. On the night Chicago raised his number to the rafters - alongside legends like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen - he made sure everyone knew the truth.
Thibodeau didn't break Derrick Rose. Thibodeau made Derrick Rose. He turned a supremely talented kid from Chicago into an MVP at 22 years old. He built an offense around his speed, his explosiveness, his ability to get to the rim against anyone.
And when Rose went down? It wasn't because he was overworked. It was because sports are cruel sometimes. Injuries happen. ACLs tear. Careers change in an instant.
But watching him speak at that podium, you saw what made Derrick Rose special. It wasn't just the 50-inch vertical or the MVP trophy or the way he could slice through defenses. It was the heart. The loyalty. The humility.
"I used to do shit in games just to make sure he saw on tape between me and him."
That's a player who loved playing for his coach. Who wanted to make him proud. Who pushed himself because he knew Thibs believed in him.
Chicago Bulls fans have been waiting for this night for years. Watching their hometown hero get his jersey retired. Watching number 1 go up to the rafters. Watching Rose get the recognition he deserves, even if injuries derailed what should have been a Hall of Fame career.
And Rose used that moment to defend the man who coached him. To set the record straight. To tell the world that Thibodeau wasn't the villain - he was the mentor.
That's what sports is all about, folks. Loyalty. Respect. Defending the people who helped you become great.
Derrick Rose was special on the court. But moments like this? This is what makes him a legend off it.
