Getty Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose vs. Chicago Bulls
The re-emergence of Derrick Rose’s NBA career has been a storyline throughout the early stages of the 2018-19 NBA season. But on Wednesday, his return to the city where it all began took things to another level. Rose and the Minnesota Timberwolves were facing off with the Chicago Bulls, and the fans of his former team began chanting ‘MVP’ at him while on the free throw line.
And all Rose could do was smile, as The Athletic’s Michael Lee shows (per the Timberwolves).
MVP chants for Derrick Rose in Chicago, once again. You can even see what looks like a smile come across his face 🌹😏 t.co/TlRudGTRNt
It was a great scene in Chicago and Rose obviously every minute of it. Playing back in his home city and with a team who meant a lot to his career surely made for a meaningful game. But getting love from the fans was quite the moment.
Rose had a strong game as well, scoring 24 points on 11-19 shooting (57.9 percent) while dishing out eight assists. For good measure, he also grabbed three rebounds and added two steals in the Timberwolves’ 119-94 win.
Derrick Rose’s Run With Bulls
Rose was born in Chicago, and after being drafted by the Bulls with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft quickly made a name for himself. He was with the team from 2008 to 2016 and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year while also winning the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player award during his time there.
Over the 406 games Rose played with the Bulls, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.2 assists per game. This stretch included three-straight years with 20.8 points or more per game. Unfortunately, the guard suffered a torn ACL in 2012-13, missing the entire season in the process. He was still productive after that but has bounced around a bit following his tenure in Chicago.
Arguably the most impressive part of Rose’s run with the Bulls was the fact that they made the playoffs in each of the first six seasons he played. This included a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010-11. Chicago never fell below the .500 mark in any season where Rose was on the roster.
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