Joakim Noah was understandably emotional following Derrick Rose's retirement.
On Thursday morning, Derrick Rose announced that he is retiring from the NBA after 16 seasons in the league. Rose's best days were tragically cut short by a torn ACL in 2012, and he was never the same player since. Regardless, Rose is leaving the game as the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award in 2011 with the Chicago Bulls as a 22-year-old, and he remains a fan favorite to this day for staying the course despite being ravaged by injuries.
Rose is a beloved presence wherever he goes, with fans of the Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies all having plenty of good things to say about the retired point guard — regardless of how long his stint was with those teams. Thus, it's no surprise that some of the former teammates he went to war with the longest, such as Joakim Noah, was emotionally moved by the veteran point guard's retirement announcement.
Posting on his official Instagram account, Noah expressed just how much Derrick Rose means to him, especially during their playing days together with the Bulls, and how he embodies hope.
“Hope is a powerful emotion. You always represented hope- in human form,” Noah wrote. “It was an honor, a privilege, and a real pleasure sharing the court with you. The memories will never be
"Basketball or no basketball - WE ARE BROTHERS FOR LIFE!" Former Bulls/Knicks teammate Joakim Noah reacts to Derrick Rose's retirement from basketball 🤝 (via @JoakimNoah/ IG)
Joakim Noah continued by conveying how thankful he is to spend the best days of his career alongside Derrick Rose and how, despite falling short of their ultimate goal, the brotherhood they have built is one that will last for a lifetime.
“Our relationship grew even more when we faced adversity. We were never won a championship but as a teammate and a friend I just want to tell you I’m grateful. I couldn’t be prouder to have laced them up with you homie. You deserve your flowers and your respect Pooh. Thank you for the memories,” Noah added. “Basketball or no basketball – WE ARE BROTHERS FOR LIFE!”
It's certainly an emotional day for Joakim Noah and the Bulls fanbase to witness Derrick Rose's professional basketball journey officially come to an end. Rose is a warrior who fought to extend his career for as long as he could, but all good things come to an end.
Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah transform the Bulls franchise
The start of the 21st century was not very kind to the Bulls franchise. Looking to rebuild following the end of their dominant 1990s, the Bulls struggled to become anything more than first-round fodder to begin the century. But then the lottery gods smiled upon them in 2007 and 2008, granting them the opportunity to draft Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose — with the latter being taken with the first overall pick even though Chicago only had a 1.8 percent chance to win the lottery.
Rose was an immediate sensation, and it became clear with the way he attacked the rim and made plays that the Bulls were going to rise to the top sooner than later. Noah then became the defensive anchor for the team, with Luol Deng emerging as one of the best two-way players in the league on the wing. During the 2010-11 season, the Bulls finished with the best record in the NBA, looking like a legitimate title contender in the process.
The Miami Heat then stopped them in their tracks, but the Bulls, evidently, was there to stay. They had the best record in the NBA again in the following season, but then Rose's ACL tear dashed their championship hopes… for good. This, however, shouldn't take away from Rose and Noah's transformative effect on the team, and how the Bulls have struggled to reach these levels again after their departures.
