If the Chicago Bulls want to honor Derrick Rose with a statue in the future, the guard has some concerns.
In an interview with ESPN on Friday, Rose said that he would love to have his jersey retired. However, when asked if he believes he should get a statue, Rose was far more dubious about the idea.
“The statues, the way people been creating the statues, no, I do not want no statue,” Rose told ESPN.
Rose was seemingly addressing Dwyane Wade’s odd-looking statue, which was unveiled by the Miami Heat in October to much skepticism. Wade brushed off the jokes, saying that he didn’t care about people’s opinions.
Rose, however, cares enough to deter the Bulls organization from considering the option.
“Jerry, no statue, bro. Please, Michael, no statue,” Rose told ESPN, looking at the camera to address Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and president Michael Reinsdorf.
Rose was drafted first overall by the Bulls in 2008, and went on to win Rookie of the Year in 2009. His stint with Chicago was his longest and most successful: He was named league MVP in 2011, and earned three straight All-Star nods from 2010-2012. Rose was traded by the Bulls in 2016, and spent the rest of his career bouncing between teams; he retired in 2024 after a 16-year career.
On Saturday, the Bulls are hosting “Derrick Rose night” for their game against the New York Knicks. Both teams will wear warmup shirts honoring Rose, and Chicago will unveil an atrium with memorabilia from the three-time All-Star’s career.
The Bulls do not currently have any plans to retire Rose’s jersey, but Rose said that he would greatly appreciate the chance to cement his place in Bulls history.
“(My) jersey being retired, I would love that. That would be my way of getting close to the Top 75, and I’m only saying that because it relates to the MVP,” Rose said. “It’s only a handful, a small group that got that trophy back there. And to think that way of playing, the Chicago way of playing, is not in that 75, it makes you think about it a little bit or question it a little bit.”
Chicago has retired four jersey numbers — Jerry Sloan’s No. 4, Bob Love’s No. 10, Michael Jordan’s No. 23 and Scottie Pippen’s No. 33 — in the franchise’ history. The team also has banners hanging in the Bulls’ United Center that honor former coach Phil Jackson and former GM Jerry Krause.
