Chicago is honoring Derrick Rose, a native of Englewood and retired NBA player, ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony scheduled for Saturday night during the Bulls game against the Boston Celtics at the United Center. Rose’s No. 1 will become the fifth number retired by the Bulls, following Jerry Sloan (4), Bob Love (10), Michael Jordan (23), and Scottie Pippen (33). Tickets for the event start at $199.
Leading up to the ceremony, several initiatives have taken place in Chicago to celebrate Rose’s career and legacy. On Friday, a mural titled “Home Court of Dreams” was unveiled at After School Matters’ new teen center in Cabrini-Green. The mural was created by artist Dwight White in collaboration with students from After School Matters and features children in Bulls apparel, the city skyline, and references to Rose’s Flower Shop.
According to team officials, the Bulls contributed to the capital campaign for the teen center where the mural is displayed. The gym also includes custom backboards dedicated to Rose. Students who participated aimed to highlight positive aspects of Chicago through their work on the mural.
“Chicago is a city that notoriously has a bad reputation. … Chicago is painted in a way where we’re seen as violent. … I don’t want people to think that about my city,” said Hasani Washington, a 17-year-old advanced visual arts student at After School Matters’ Gately Park location in Pullman. “I think that [advice] very much showcases in this beautiful art piece.”
In addition to the mural, artwork created by After School Matters students will be displayed in the United Center atrium on Saturday night. This includes paintings depicting moments from Rose’s career and metal roses made by teens participating in a welding program.
“I never thought I’d have a mural, but at the same time, the story correlates because I’m a collector. I love art. … So when people talk about collecting [art], I can actually say now I have a mural,” Rose said. “That’s one of the reasons why I retired, to show that I’m an artist.”
Rose recently relaunched his online flower pop-up business called Rose’s Flower Shop. The shop operates on Sundays and delivers bouquets via FedEx; it offers various colors of roses with bouquets selling for $90 each. A launch event was held for its first Sunday drop where fans met Rose and received flowers.
Additionally, on Tuesday, an exclusive co-branded retail collection called The Rose Collection was announced by the Bulls and Rose. It includes hoodies, letterman jackets priced up to $350, shirts, and basketballs starting at $40. These items will be available at United Center’s Madhouse Team Store beginning Saturday morning; full access opens when gates open later that day.
“The Bulls collaborated closely with Rose throughout the design process to reflect his career, Chicago roots and iconic moments on and off the court,” according to a statement from the team.
The merchandise release follows Adidas’ announcement that it would re-release Rose’s first signature shoe—the AdiZero Rose 1—featuring Bulls colors black and red with retail pricing set at $130.
“You can’t put any boundaries on me. I don’t see any boxes, and I never want to be held down,” Rose said during Friday’s dedication event for his mural. “Basketball was holding me back in a way where creative-wise I was put into a box.”
