Derrick Rose Hilariously Turns Down Statue Tribute After Dwyane Wade Meme Debacle

Derrick Rose does not want a statue outside the United Center after seeing some other recent examples.

Derrick Rose Hilariously Turns Down Statue Tribute After Dwyane Wade Meme Debacle

Derrick Rose (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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The Chicago Bulls honored their homegrown superstar, Derrick Rose, by retiring his jersey on Saturday. While Rose does not have the accolades or the success Michael Jordan brought to Chicago, he is a beloved figure in the city.

Derrick Rose was drafted as the number one pick in the 2008 NBA draft. During his seven-year spell with the Bulls, Rose was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009 and became the youngest player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2011 at the age of 22 years and 7 months. He earned three All-Star selections and brought relevancy to the Bulls, who were struggling since the retirement of Jordan.

Following the Bulls’ dramatic win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday, Rose was honored by the Bulls with a jersey retirement ceremony. He is the fifth player in Bulls history to have his jersey retired after the likes of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love.

But the former NBA MVP does not want a statue outside the United Center after seeing some other recent examples. The Miami Heat unveiled a statue of Dwyane Wade in October, and there was a lot of criticism and trolling across social media as the sculpture did not resemble the three-time NBA champion at all.

No knock on D Wade but I saw that statue and I am good. I don’t need no statue. You could do the statue of a family crest but I don’t want no statue of myself. I feel like that’s idolizing in other way and I don’t want nobody idolizing me like that.

Jordan and Blackhawks legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita are the only Chicago athletes presently with statues outside the United Center. Rose struggled with significant knee injuries throughout his career. Unfortunately, they took a toll on his body, and he was never able to contend for championships for the majority of his career.

Michael Jordan gives Derrick Rose his flowers

Jordan is arguably the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. He turned the Bulls into a global entity. Alongside Scottie Pippen, the two went on to win six championships, which included two three-peats.

The six-time champion has largely stayed away from the public eye but paid tribute to the former MVP in a video message.

Derrick Rose at his jersey retirement
Derrick Rose at his jersey retirement (Image via Rahimi Harris/X)

Derrick, congratulations on the retirement of your jersey. I’m very happy for you. You had an unbelievable career. You really represented the city of Chicago, the Chicago Bulls, your family, and yourself very, very well. So I’m very proud of you and very happy for your special night. Looking forward to coming to the United Center and seeing your jersey hanging up there with my jersey.

It was an emotional night that saw several former and active players, including LeBron James paying tribute to the Chicago-born player.

Gilbert Arenas claims Derrick Rose is bigger than Michael Jordan in Chicago

There is no doubt that Rose wore the Chicago Bulls on his sleeve. While Jordan brought success and fame to the franchise, Rose was born and bred in the city. Hence, many would argue that Rose is the more loved figure in Chicago.

On the Gil’s Arena show, Gilbert Arenas explained that Rose has a unique place in Chicago over Jordan.

Listen, I don’t live in Chicago. So I wouldn’t really know. But from Chicago Bulls fans, Derrick Rose is Chicago. He is the son of Chicago. When you’re talking about someone who grew up there, from there, they watched him be a superstar in middle school, high school, and in the NBA. He was here with us. So when people say he means more to Chicago than Jordan, I can understand that.

Arenas acknowledged Jordan’s accomplishments but said context matters. Jordan won six NBA championships, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs, and a Defensive Player of the Year award with the Bulls.

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