Derrick Rose officially had his No. 1 jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
While the evening was historic for the iconic player, he used the moment to show gratitude to his wife, kids, and other loved ones.
He began by thanking his mother, Brenda, for her sacrifices, then acknowledged his big brother and close friends.
Rose then turned his attention to his wife, Alaina Anderson. He shared gratitude for her unconditional love and praised her role in helping to raise his oldest son, Derrick “PJ” Rose Jr.
Rose shares PJ with his ex, Mieka Reese. He and Anderson share two younger children, daughter Layla Malibu Rose and son London Marley Rose.
“I love the fact that you accept me for who I am. I’m not perfect. I don’t try to be perfect. I love you with all my heart. I love the fact that you treat[PJ] as if he’s yours. You treat his mother with respect and the relationship that y’all have with raising him.”
From there, the speech turned into a full-on dad moment.
Rose addressed each of his children, pausing to tell his oldest son how much he loved him. The most emotional moment came when he turned to his son London, who was overcome with emotion.
“Don’t cry. Don’t cry. You’re my big boy. Don’t cry,” he said, adding, “I love your heart. I love how independent you are. I love how self-sufficient you are. You are so blessed and so powerful. I love you.”
He then spoke to his daughter, Layla, sharing a lighthearted story about buying a bag of Fruities — a Chicago classic, he joked — and leaving them by his bed. When he returned, they had all been unwrapped. Rose later learned Layla had opened them so he wouldn’t make a mess.
”So that’s what I mean by I love you, Lei. You always considerate. Always thinking about daddy. And i got you till the end,” he said.
By the time Rose’s jersey was lifted into the rafters, emotions were running high throughout the arena.
