‘Becoming a Rose’: The story behind Derrick Rose’s anticipated retirement film

CHICAGO — Derrick Rose knew he’d be unable to hold back tears, so he figured why try?

“That’s why I had to wear the glasses, because I knew I was going to get emotional,” Rose said Thursday at a private screening of “Becoming a Rose,” the self-directed retirement film from the former Chicago Bulls star.

The two-minute tribute will debut during a halftime ceremony honoring Rose at Saturday’s Bulls game against the New York Knicks. It will be the apex of an evening reserved for the Chicago native and 2011 NBA MVP who announced his retirement in September. The Bulls have dubbed the matchup “Derrick Rose Night.”

Players on both teams will wear themed shooting shirts to honor Rose’s time with both franchises. The date of the game will be numerically printed on the front (1.4.25), and the shirts will include Rose’s jersey numbers worn with the Bulls, Knicks and at Simeon Career Academy. The Bulls, his first NBA team, will launch the Derrick Rose atrium experience, showcasing everything from memorabilia to a mosaic in the shape of Rose’s logo and made using photos throughout his life and career.

Throughout the game, there will be moments recognizing Rose, his family and many of his former Bulls teammates who will be on hand. Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson also proclaimed Jan. 4, 2025, as “Derrick Rose Day” in Chicago.

1/4/25 will forever be Derrick Rose Day 🌹 pic.twitter.com/RnuGlrW9Ja

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 4, 2025

“I can’t explain it,” Rose said. “That’s something that you see in movies, or I’m normally on the couch watching somebody get this.”

But the culmination of Rose’s coronation will be different. At a time when all the attention will be heaped on Rose, he went out of his way to redirect the flowers back to his beloved hometown. What fans will see Saturday is a heartfelt tribute video not to Rose, but to the city of Chicago. With his eldest son, PJ, narrating and co-starring, Rose and his team, in conjunction with Adidas, crafted a touching salute to the people and places in Chicago that made him.

“Roses need water and sunlight to grow, but this Rose needed a city,” PJ narrates at the start of the film.

“I want the city to feel like they can stunt on another city or state and be, like, ‘Look what we got. Look what we made,’” Rose said. “Because it’s no way that I could tell my story without telling the city’s story.”

Rose is the rarest of all sports heroes: a prospect who, against long odds, grew to become the youngest MVP in NBA history for his hometown team. He spent his first eight seasons in Chicago after the Bulls drafted him No. 1 in 2008. The player nicknamed “Pooh” by his grandmother when he was a child won Rookie of the Year in 2009, earned three All-Star selections by 2012 and guided the Bulls to the Eastern Conference finals in 2011 before knee injuries derailed his career.

“From a city that raises you with tough love and lifts you up in tough times.”

“Pooh’s as special as they come,” former Bulls star and Rose’s friend Joakim Noah told The Athletic. “When that crowd (Saturday) is going to chant ‘MVP,’ it’s bigger than just basketball. It’s just beautiful to see how far he’s come. This story is about more than just winning a championship. This is a painful story. This is as soulful as they come. This is a Chicago story.”

Rose and Joakim Noah (13) were teammates in Chicago for seven seasons (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

“Becoming a Rose” takes the audience on an intimate journey with Rose and his family, snaking from the United Center to his childhood home on the city’s south side, and back. In between, Rose shows his son Murray Park — not just a playground, but Rose’s prove-it-ground — as well as the halls and gymnasium of Simeon, where he led his high school team to back-to-back state championships. Rose also shows his son the old barbershop on the block, where so many boys became men.

“Whenever we see athletes and we see their retirement video, it’s always about them,” said Carlyle Garrick, director of the tribute. “It’s videos and stories, highlights and plays, that we’ve seen forever, and we’re just rewatching those for the 30th time. But it was nice to see his family, his friends and places that were special to him. Hearing PJ’s voice also gave it that familial texture.”

The film took three days to shoot in early December. On the first day of filming, the crew was welcomed by 22-degree temperatures. Reflecting on the frigid conditions, it’s the only time Rose didn’t express anything but reverence for Chicago.

“It was so cold out there, bro,” Rose remembered. “When I came back, I was so cold I had to put on tights under my long johns. And my guys were regular, like, ‘What?’ They were laughing at me. But it made me appreciate being here, because something as minute as that can help build your character if you’re mindful of it.”

Garrick, a California native who played linebacker at Oregon from 2011-15, said it was the coldest he’s ever been. He also will remember Rose’s commitment to the project resulting in one of the fastest turnarounds he’s been a part of. Garrick said productions of this magnitude typically take about three months.

Storytelling through film is one of Rose’s many passions. He described himself as a visual learner, and “Becoming a Rose” is his directorial debut. Rose additionally is manifesting a partnership at a major studio. Rose listed Quentin Tarantino among his favorite directors and said he envisions featuring family members prominently in his films one day.

“A quiet kid with a loud dream.”

Garrick’s respect for Rose grew more after experiencing the latter approach a new craft. He said Rose joined every video call with a notepad and a camera, determined to learn the process while offering critical creative input. From the overall concept to every painstaking detail of production, Rose was involved.

“I’m watching every step so that when I am in that position, I can express myself the way a great director is supposed to express themselves,” Rose said.

He’ll never stop being a student of the game.

“That’s why I feel like this film is an authentic view of who Derrick is and who this city is,” Garrick said. “He’s investing into all of us, himself as well, and proving to people that ‘I really care about this craft.’ He might not say it, but he is truly leading this charge. It’s a special thing to see somebody post-playing care about something this much so early.”

For Rose, it’s about using his massive platform and putting a twist on his community outreach, just like it was always bigger than basketball for Rose during his playing career.

“Of course, you can express yourself, art wise, through film. But at the same time, we’re trying to employ people, too,” Rose said. “We could shoot this film, and we could have used everybody from different cities and fly them in, but we used people who were from here. A lot of us were (Black and Brown people) on the set working. That’s where I see us, our team, adapting: giving in different ways, finding unique ways to show gratitude.

“When you look at the economy and really think practically about what’s going on and how people are hurting, coming back here and just seeing the visual, certain places still look the same. Every year I’m going to come back, it may still look the same. I’m going to say that for the next 10, 20 years The question is going to come up, ‘Who’s going to change it?’ I’ll answer the question: It’s going to be me. It’s going to have to be me or my team to change it. Taking responsibility, taking ownership in it … but doing it smart and doing it the right way by employing people and giving people opportunities.”

“A rose can be many colors. But this Rose will always be Chicago red.”

The final scene shows Rose sharing the United Center court with only his eldest son, now far removed from the toddler who stole hearts while sitting atop Rose’s lap after playoff games. Together, they launch shots in an empty arena. Rose sinks a basket and hoists his arms in celebration. A faint chant of “M-V-P” plays as the film fades out.

For all he did for Chicago, and for all he meant then and still does now, the roar Rose receives Saturday is expected to be deafening after fans see his carefully curated tribute to the place he’ll always call home.

“This is going to represent a Chicago feel, a Chicago way, of presenting ourselves to the world,” Rose said. “It’s all intrinsic. It’s all real, and I hope you guys love it.”

(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)