Bulls legend Derrick Rose reflects on his basketball career ahead of jersey retirement ceremony

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Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose sat down with ABC7 to reflect on his basketball career and talk about what fans can expect at his jersey retirement ceremony this weekend.

The Bulls will retire Rose's #1 jersey on Saturday, and it is a moment he is not taking lightly. Once a kid from Englewood with big dreams of making it one day, he reflected on how far he has come and what is in store for his next chapter.

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It is a side of Rose we have not seen before, stepping off the court and calling his own shots in retirement.

When asked when he decided to retire, Rose said, "I've been fighting that moment for three or four years before I retired... I couldn't trade going back in with the life I was curating with my family, and curating with my family and seeing how my presence played a huge role."

He is retiring with no regrets after giving the game his all.

"I feel like I practiced my butt off. If only people knew how much I sacrificed before every game... I wasn't just trying to be good. I wanted to be great," Rose said. "Once I got done, I felt that pressure off my shoulders of trying to be perfect."

The MVP's career didn't come without challenges. He faced several injuries in the NBA, which caused major setbacks. He spoke about how his faith helped him get through some of the hardest times in his career.

"My journey went from me believing to me knowing that, I know who I am now," Rose said. "My story alone should let you know that there is a God. There's no way I make it out of Englewood without toting a pistol or a gun, not one time when I was younger, and I made it out!"

Making it out and coming home, Rose decided to move his family back to the city where it all began.

"Chicago is different than anywhere else in the world. I could be biased, but it's true. The city is beautiful. The people in the city are beautiful. My kids need to experience that because that helped me with my character," Rose said.

Rose is looking forward to giving back to the youth and starting new businesses to create more jobs for Chicagoans.

"I felt like basketball was handicapping me. It was putting boundaries," Rose said. "I read a lot. I read a ton. That's something I didn't do early on and that's led to the transformation of what you see right now."

As for his message to fans, Rose said, "Thank you once again. Hopefully, I can meet you all. If we don't meet in person, come celebrate with me. It's going to be a party."

Stepping into retirement, we are Chicago proud of our MVP.

Rose's jersey retirement event is happening Saturday at the United Center. Tickets are still available. Rose says the night is not just about him; it is for everyone that has been a part of his basketball journey.

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