Derrick Rose has always been a symbol of perseverance in the NBA. The youngest MVP in league history saw his career derailed by a string of devastating knee injuries, forcing him to bounce from team to team as he searched for stability. By 2018, Rose was on the brink of fading out of the league entirely. But one unforgettable night in Minnesota changed everything.
Looking back during a recent trip to Manila, Rose reflected on his Halloween night heroics against the Utah Jazz. According to Nicole Ganglani, Rose said:
“That game was perfect timing because Jimmy didn’t play, Jeff didn’t play, and it was just one night, it was Halloween night, when the game stamped me back in the league.”
“If I didn’t have that game, I would’ve probably been out like a year after that game, so after that game, it reestablished me back in the league and I was able to play extra five to six years.
Rose had re-signed with the Timberwolves on July 4, 2018, accepting a veteran minimum deal after a forgettable stint in Cleveland. His NBA stock was at an all-time low. But eight games into the season, he turned back the clock.
Playing 41 minutes, Rose dropped a career-high 50 points on 19-of-31 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three. He added six assists, four rebounds, and capped it off with a game-saving block on the final possession to seal a 128–125 win.
When the buzzer sounded, Rose broke down in tears as his teammates mobbed him.
The Target Center crowd erupted with MVP chants, a sound that once defined his days in Chicago. That single game gave Rose more than just validation; it gave him a second life. He went on to average 18.0 points in 51 games that season and nearly won Sixth Man of the Year.
Without that moment, Rose admitted, his career would have likely ended in 2018. Instead, it set the stage for a productive two-year stint with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 18.1 points in 2019–20, and later a return to New York, where he became a fan favorite with the Knicks.
For Rose, that game wasn’t just about numbers. It was a reward for refusing to give up when the league had seemingly given up on him. He has often said that to make it through his journey, he had to be “delusional” enough to believe he still belonged. That delusion turned into reality on Halloween night in 2018.
Now, with his Chicago Bulls preparing to retire his jersey, Rose can look back on a career that almost ended too soon. Thanks to that 50-point explosion, his story became one of redemption, resilience, and longevity, a reminder that sometimes one game can change everything.
