Chicago Bulls equipment manager, Steve Pankow, recently revealed that Derrick Rose’s #1 jersey might be off limits to new players.
Derrick Rose played his last game for the Chicago Bulls on April 9th, 2016. Rose was drafted #1 overall to the Bulls when they miraculously won the draft lottery with a 1.7% chance of winning. Rose quickly took the league by storm by winning Rookie of the Year and tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for points in a playoff debut by a rookie.
The Native Chicagoan went on to become the youngest MVP in NBA history at age 22 and became a 3x All-Star with the Bulls. Rose quickly became the face of a new generation of Chicago basketball. Even though Rose now plays for the New York Knicks, Rose’s #1 Bulls jersey can still be seen being worn by fans all across Chicago.
A recent article from the Athletic revealed that Derrick Rose’s #1 might be off limits to new Chicago Bulls players. Darnell Mayberry detailed how Bulls’ equipment manager, Steve Pankow, no longer assigns players the number.
“The Bulls have four retired numbers: 4, 10, 23 and 33. They remain off-limits even to the summer squad. There are unspoken rules equipment managers like Pankow abide by as well. For example, he’s not assigning anyone No. 1. That’s Derrick Rose’s number.”
Derrick Rose made a massive impact in Chicago, despite often dealing with injuries. Respect for him and his number has been made clear since his departure. Nobody has worn #1 for the Bulls since Rose. In the past, players have joined the Bulls expecting to wear #1 and ultimately ended up selecting different numbers. Michael Carter-Williams was traded to the Bulls in late 2016 and switched to #7 after initially selecting Rose’s number. Scenarios like that have happened on more than one occasion.
Not wearing #1 has clearly become a well-established unwritten rule within the Bulls organization. Even though fans has moved on to a new era, fans will always appreciate what Derrick Rose gave Chicago. This unwritten rule makes it seem even more likely that Derrick Rose’s number will be hanging in the United Center’s rafters someday down the road.
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