• Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey will be retired by the Chicago Bulls as he moves on from his playing career.
  • Rose is launching a family-run business, Rose’s Flower Shop, and held a pop-up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
  • Retirement has given Rose space to reshape his identity, prioritize family and explore new ventures.

From MVP to florist: a new chapter

Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP and Chicago icon, is leaning into life after basketball. The Bulls will hang his No. 1 jersey in the United Center rafters, a moment Rose welcomes as a step toward a fresh identity beyond the court.

Intimate pop-up in Pilsen

At a cold January pop-up in the Vault Gallerie, Rose donned a green apron and manned a wooden console for three hours, meeting more than 300 people and signing commemorative cards for preordered bouquets. The event showcased Rose’s Flower Shop, a family-run online flower business that Rose describes as part of a legacy-building effort.

“I was done living in that time”

Rose has long grappled with the collision of ambition and identity that came with early stardom. After injuries and years of reflection, he announced his retirement in fall 2024 and has used the transition to focus on creativity, business and family. He told reporters he wants to live “in the middle” — not trapped in a familiar past nor confined by a predictable future.

Family, legacy and small-business focus

Rose has shifted his daily life toward projects that put family and community first. The flower shop is intended to employ local people, teach work skills to youth and give Rose a small-business platform to build a lasting local legacy.

Keeping basketball in perspective

While Rose is trying to separate from the constant pull of his MVP-era image, basketball remains part of his life — especially through his son, PJ, who is developing as a young player. Rose says he won’t force the game on PJ and is focused on being a supportive parent rather than an obsessive director.

Reflection and reinvention

Rose’s MVP trophy sits at home as part of a life in transition. He has spent years reconciling the burden of expectations, injuries and public scrutiny. Retirement, he says, has been liberating: an opportunity to show different sides of himself — creative, curious and community-minded.

Watch: Derrick Rose speaks at Derrick Rose Night

Below is footage from Rose’s halftime address and public celebration, where he signaled his move toward entrepreneurship and family life:

As the Bulls prepare to raise his jersey, Derrick Rose is watering new seeds — trading the full-time spotlight of the NBA for entrepreneurship, fatherhood and a quieter public life while remaining forever linked to Chicago’s basketball story.

Image Referance: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6991963/2026/01/23/derrick-rose-bulls-nba-jersey-retirement-flowers/