The city of Chicago boasts a tremendous basketball culture. With natives like Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose being closely tied to the city’s DNA, the impact of basketball on the community has been significant. Still, many would argue that Michael Jordan was the most impactful figure in basketball for the city of Chicago.
This became an intriguing topic of discussion on “The Big Podcast” with Shaquille O’Neal, who asked Dwyane Wade whether Derrick Rose had a bigger impact in Chicago than Michael Jordan. The three-time NBA champion responded:
“Community impact. He’s [Rose] is from Chicago. So it’s different from that standpoint. Like, he’s a kid from nothing, from Chicago, his story. Everybody in Chicago can resonate with his story. Everybody can’t resonate well with Michael Jordan’s story. Michael Jordan is a myth. He’s a legend. He’s an icon. But Derrick Rose means more to the DNA of Chicago, because he’s one of them.”
O’Neal was taken aback by Wade’s answer, primarily because he assumed that the argument would be rooted in their achievements and exploits on the basketball court. But considering Dwyane Wade’s approach to the subject, the narrative shifted significantly.
“He’s one of our own,” Wade continued. “In the overall scheme of things, Michael Jordan. But for the kids in Chicago, it will be Derrick Rose.”
As Dwyane Wade mentioned, from a basketball standpoint, it is hard to underplay what Michael Jordan has achieved for Chicago. Having dominated the 90s with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan brought perennial championship success, the likes of which the city hadn’t seen since the NFL’s Chicago Bears in the 1940s.
Jordan was one of the most successful NBA players of all time. With his individual accolades, including 10 scoring titles, three steals titles, 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive selections, one DPOY award, and five MVP awards, he is also considered by many as the greatest NBA player ever.
Still, as Dwyane Wade said, Derrick Rose is ingrained in the city’s culture. Although Rose didn’t bring the same kind of championship success that Jordan brought to Chicago, the Bulls’ guard made Chicago one of the most entertaining and competitive teams in the league.
Rose’s NBA career was marked by his meteoric rise to superstardom, which peaked with him being named the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011 after leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record that season. Unfortunately, this was followed by an equally swift downfall caused by recurring injuries.
Derrick Rose’s tenure with the Bulls came to an end after the 2015-16 season, after which he joined the New York Knicks. Although he parted with Chicago, the fan base maintained a fondness for their former MVP as he bounced around different teams before choosing to retire after the 2023-24 season.
Rose’s contributions eventually culminated in the Bulls honoring him by retiring his No. 1 jersey earlier this year. While a momentous occasion in every sense, it was a clear representation of how much the guard truly meant to the city of Chicago.
