The last week has shown what Derrick Rose means to Chicago and to the Bulls.
All of that will culminate Saturday, when the Bulls celebrate Rose’s retirement from the NBA on ‘‘Derrick Rose Night’’ at the United Center.
Close to 30 former players and former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who will be on the sidelines for the visiting Knicks, are among those who will be there to honor the kid who grew up in Englewood and went on to become the youngest MVP in NBA history.
And whatever comes Rose’s way, whether it’s a video tribute, a retired number or a stronger bond between him and his former organization, few would dispute that he deserves it.
‘‘Just being one of the best players to ever come out of Chicago,’’ Bulls forward Talen Horton-Tucker said Friday of Rose. ‘‘Chicago has a lot of basketball players, and a lot of them are good and come from this area. So being at the level he was at, he kind of cemented himself as being one of the best players to ever come from here.’’
Horton-Tucker might be a bit biased in his opinion. After all, he was going through the basketball ranks in Chicago as a child when Rose was capturing the attention of the city. That included going to Simeon High School years after Rose made his imprint there.
‘‘Yeah, as a kid, you look up to people like that, being able to come from the same place as you and being able to achieve the same things you want to as an adult,’’ Horton-Tucker said. ‘‘I feel like he’s a big inspiration to a lot of kids growing up here.
‘‘I watched him in high school because I was always around basketball. For me, it’s crazy that I’m even in that conversation [as a Simeon grad to make the NBA]. Let’s say I kind of knew I was going to Simeon since fifth, sixth grade. Being able to go there and achieve the things I did — I didn’t win state, I have to say that — but I won three [city championships].’’
Bulls coach Billy Donovan has his own perspective about what Rose meant to the Bulls and the city. His came through the eyes of Rose’s former teammate and good friend Joakim Noah.
Noah played for Donovan for three seasons at Florida, winning back-to-back NCAA championships, and kept in contact with his coach during his days with the Bulls. That’s why Donovan has nothing but respect for Rose’s game.
‘‘I loved the way Joakim spoke about [Rose] as a teammate, as a guy,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘It was really impressive. Then him having that [knee] injury, still coming back and having an amazing career after that, he played for a long time. He clearly was on a trajectory that was impressive at a young age. He certainly generated a lot of buzz and a lot of excitement. But besides the buzz and excitement, [the Bulls] were winning, and he was a major contributor to that.’’
That’s why Donovan said he thinks Rose is deserving of having his No. 1 hanging from the rafters.
‘‘I think so,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I think he embodied the city in a lot of ways, being from here, but the team played that way. They were tough, they were physical, they were competitive.’’
There might be a little precedence on Rose’s side, too.
What Rose meant to the city and the Bulls was much like what Allen Iverson meant to Philadelphia and the 76ers. Philly felt a seismic cultural shift because of Iverson’s presence, and he wasn’t even from there.
Iverson won an MVP and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals, but he never was able to hold up the championship trophy.
Still, the 76ers retired Iverson’s No. 3 in March 2014.