When the Chicago Bulls announced that they would retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey on Jan. 24, 2026, one of the first stars to show love was none other than LeBron James.
On X, LeBron posted a straightforward yet impactful tribute filled with a plethora of roses, clapping hands, and raised hands emojis:
It was an appropriate gesture from one great to another, especially considering how often they faced each other at the height of their rivalry in the Eastern Conference.
In the early 2010s, the Eastern Conference in the NBA was largely consumed with the collision course between Rose’s Chicago Bulls and LeBron’s Miami Heat.
Rose and the Bulls’ most memorable clash was in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, when Rose had just come off of winning the MVP award, and the Bulls finished the 2010–2011 season with the best record in the league at 62–20.
The Bulls shocked the Heat with a win in Game 1, but after that, LeBron and the Heat pulled off four straight victories to secure a trip to the Finals. The 2011 Eastern Conference Finals created highlight after highlight, Rose’s jaw-dropping, acrobatic drives through Miami’s defense, and LeBron’s legendary, remarkable clutch defense on Rose in the crunch time.
The series was a fascinating, momentous wrestle of two world-class athletes, both playing at the height of their power, and even though LeBron got the best of Rose, by far is the enduring mutual respect of LeBron and Rose for more than a decade.
Now that Rose’s jersey will be retired, there is no doubt he belongs among Chicago basketball royalty. He will join Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen in the United Center rafters. To return to this moment as a hometown kid from Englewood, who dreamed of moments like these, to have his jersey retired is a fantastic full-circle moment.
Making an immediate impact after being selected No. 1 overall in 2008, Rose was named Rookie of the Year in 2009 and by 2011, just 22 years old, was the youngest MVP in NBA history.
He averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, leading Chicago to the top seed in the East. It was one of the most outstanding individual seasons of the modern era, and all of it is made even more impressive by the talent in the conference at the time.
Over his 15-year NBA career, Rose played for the Bulls, Knicks, Pistons, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, and Grizzlies, making appearances in 723 games, earning three All-Star selections, and producing one of the most remarkable second acts of any player in recent history, coming back from multiple knee injuries to emerging late in his career as a productive veteran and mentor.
The Bulls will retire Rose’s jersey, following a home game against the Boston Celtics. It’s going to be an emotional night at the United Center, honoring a player who restored hope in Chicago basketball following the Michael Jordan dynasty.
For LeBron James, who battled against Rose during both his prime and comeback phases, the tribute was straightforward but sincere.
For Chicago, the evening will consist of honoring how Rose infused life into the city, propelled the Bulls to heights they had not experienced since the 1990s, and established a legacy worthy of hanging forever in the rafters.
