Why Chicago Bulls' legend Derrick Rose wants Derrick Rose Night to be about 'celebrating everyone'

CHICAGO - Mention Derrick Rose's name in Chicago, and the former league MVP evokes plenty of memories from his days as a Chicago Bulls' star.

Those memories range from his stardom, to his devastating injuries, and to what he meant to the city.

During Saturday's game against the New York Knicks, the Bulls will celebrate Rose's career. 

"It's about me giving everyone one in this room, everyone that's a part of the story, the journey, the good, the bad, the ugly, and celebrating everyone," Rose said before Saturday's game. "I just wanted to show the love part."

That love extends to everyone that's ever played a part in Rose's basketball career. From Simeon High School, where he played in an alumni game Friday night, to Bulls fans that packed the United Center and to those who showed up in the Chicago community for different events honoring Rose.

Rose, whose basketball career was defined by mental and physical toughness, wanted to make sure that toughness was respected but didn't take center stage.

"There's toughness," Rose said. "You don't have to be tough all the time."

Rose's toughness is evident in every aspect of his basketball career.

He talked about his humble beginnings in Chicago, which fed into the drive that lifted him to be one of the best basketball players in America. That drive led him back to Chicago, where he won an NBA MVP and inspired a generation of basketball fans.

Those Rose-inspired fans feel the gravity of Saturday night. Once Rose knew his playing career was coming to an end, a celebration like Saturday was on his mind. That celebration will continue next season when the Bulls retire Rose's jersey.

"It took me a while to figure out what I was doing," Rose said. "I manifested this."

Rose said he knew it was time. And when it was time, it didn't matter whether he retired as a Bull.

That was because he didn't want to waste time spending time with his son, P.J.

"When I did make the decision to stop playing, I didn’t care where I was," Rose said. "His time, I couldn’t trade that in."

That journey to finding peace in his retirement wasn't easy.

Rose spent decades being an all-world basketball player. The former No. 1 overall pick, league MVP and NBA All-Star said when you're a kid going through it, you want to be older than you are. It honed his work ethic. 

It's also why Rose said he spent so much time working in his first three seasons in the NBA. He didn't go to parties or anything that would take him away from basketball. That's why his journey to finding peace began with self-knowledge.

"For one, finding my identity," Rose said. 

There are so many who play the "what if" game with Rose.

If he hadn't gotten injured, he would've won a second MVP.

If he hadn't gotten injured, he would've won an NBA Championship.

If he hadn't gotten injured, he would've gone down as one of the best point guards of all time.

For all those who still play the "what if" game, Rose said he doesn't talk about what could've been. In fact, that thought is so very far removed from Rose's head.

"The last time I had those conversations was years, years ago," Rose said. "Who knows, but at the same time, with me being obsessed, I wouldn't have found who I was as a person."

With that acquired inner-peace, Rose was ready to step away from the game. His story is cemented in Chicago as one of the most exciting periods of basketball from his high school days, to those who followed him through his time in college at Memphis to his ascendance into the NBA as a superstar. 

Saturday was a chance for Rose to celebrate his story. It's also why he decided to shift the focus from himself, to everyone who was a character in his story.

"Everybody’s story is different. For some reason, mine ended up being this way," Rose said. "Being from Chicago, we rolled with the punches."