Chicago Bulls: What Legacy Does Derrick Rose Leave Behind in Chicago?

Derrick Rose now carries the hopes of the New York Knicks, but what legacy does he leave behind for the Chicago Bulls?

Derrick Rose has officially been introduced as a New York Knick, officially closing the chapter on his whirlwind journey with the Chicago Bulls.

The Big Apple will now hang its hopes that Rose can fulfill their needs at point guard and mesh with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis on the court.

However, there are mixed emotions about what impact Rose has left behind in the Windy City.

The Chicago native was chosen by the Bulls with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in 2008 from the University of Memphis. Already showing great promise, Rose won Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

A new number for Derrick Rose in NYC. (via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/ssq9AHsdrd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 23, 2016

For fans of the franchise, Rose brought excitement that had not been seen since the 90’s. With the point guard as the focal point of the offense, with players like Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, the Bulls became one of the hottest teams in the NBA again.

At the same time, Rose was growing into one of the most popular players in the league. His unreal explosiveness and athleticism allowed him to finish at the rim in a way that would give the energetic Russell Westbrook a run for his money.

Sponsors took note, with Adidas giving Rose a $185 million dollar deal in 2012. At the time, the largest in endorsement deal in sports history.

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The apex of his career came in 2011, where the dynamic Rose became the youngest winner of the MVP award at just 22 years old. At the same time, Rose led the Chicago Bulls as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls eventually succumbed to the Miami Heat led by LeBron James, but there was no doubt that Chicago would be back in contention the following year.

Few athletes, even James, had the adoration that Rose did in the Windy City. Their homegrown kid, now one of the best players in the league, was giving their team hopes not seen since Michael Jordan was in a Bulls uniform.

In 2012, the story came to an abrupt halt.

The Chicago Bulls, once again the top seed in the East, were en route to a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 in the first round of the playoffs when Rose landed awkwardly on his knee. The team’s worst fears were realized when it was ruled that Rose had torn his ACL, ending his season and the team’s championship hopes.

Suddenly, the city of Chicago was left to patiently await their heroes return. This is where Rose’s reputation in the Windy City began to shift.

Rose’s $185 million deal with adidas was at the time the biggest in sports history

Rose was medically cleared to play in the homestretch of the season, yet chose not to return to action. This became a point of contention in the playoffs when several members of the Bulls were injured and Rose was on the bench technically healthier than some of his teammates still playing.

Even so, Rose elected to take the extra time to recuperate. Adidas took advantage with a viral ad campaign that had been counting down for an entire year for the start of the 2014 season when the former MVP would return to action.

The wait did not carry the expected payoff. Rose would only play several games, never quite rounding into form before injuring the opposite knee and ending another season.

Now out essentially two years, Rose’s reputation for injury overshadowed his incredible talent as a player. He became the butt of internet jokes and memes galore, with no less than even Bleacher Report taking jabs at his aptitude for injury.

In his absence, the Bulls and the city of Chicago had to get used to a basketball culture without him. After all, they could not spend another year waiting around for Rose.

In that span, Noah became the on-court leader of the team, becoming one of the elite centers in the NBA. More recently, there was the rise of Jimmy Butler as he became the Most Improved Player in the league as well as a two-time All Star.

When Rose finally returned to play in the 2015 season, it was clear that his once phenomenal explosiveness was gone. His ability to drive and finish at the rim was diminished and his lack of effectiveness on the perimeter led to a severe drop in his stats.

Rose’s final highlight reel moment for the Bulls came in 2015 when he hit a buzzer-beater in Game 3 against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Last season, Rose and Butler co-existed off the court but had issues being effective as a unit. Despite still being the hometown guy, the feeling was that it was now Butler’s team and the Houston native was now the one to take over in crunch time.

As he now looks to be the missing piece in Phil Jackson‘s re-building squad, his legacy in Chicago might well be determined by his success in New York.

If he is able to push the Knicks to the next level, with a championship of course, Chicago will have been seen as having made the mistake of letting him go too soon. If not, he may well unfortunately be seen as just another shooting star whose best years were taken by injury.

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