Jalen Brunson Gives Derrick Rose 1-Word Farewell, Years After Ex-MVP Gave Him His Welcome to the NBA Moment on Debut

“Knowing that I gave my all to the game, I feel confident in my decision. Basketball was just the beginning for me.” With this statement to ESPN, Derrick Rose closed a 16-year-long chapter of his life by retiring from the NBA. Rising to fame as a Chicago Bulls point guard, before heading off to play for 6 other franchises, the 35-year-old touched the lives of many of his peers, both teammates and rivals. Therefore, his retirement announcement continues to bring in reactions from all sides of the NBA spectrum even days later, with his former Knicks teammate recently making his voice heard.

Earlier today, Jalen Brunson took to his official Instagram account to share a post with his 694,000 followers. The same featured highlights of his and Derrick Rose’s friendship, captured both on and off the court. From playing as rivals to adopting a somewhat similar hairstyle during their tenure as Knicks, no one could deny the existence of a mutual bond after having seen the heartfelt post. Brunson even proceeded to caption it with the word “Legendary”, accompanied by a rose emoji. After longtime fans have spent years seeing the way that D-Rose has continued to deliver, is there anything more that needed to be said?

The tribute by Jalen Brunson comes almost a day after his wife, Ali Brunson, herself took to Instagram to highlight Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s kind words for Rose on her own story. Both of them did not get much time as mates, as Brunson joined the New York franchise in 2022, just one year before the veteran’s free agency departure. However, they did serve as rivals at least for four years before the team-up. In fact, Brunson has even gone so far so as to name Rose as the one who gave him his ‘Welcome to the NBA moment.’

During a recent segment on his ‘The Roommates Show’, he revealed his first ever home game being against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Derrick Rose had just signed a minimum level contract with the North Star state franchise that would yield him $2.39 million over the course of a year. Despite the low deal, the 2011 MVP showed right from the start that he was willing to give his best. This, combined with the fact that the Timberwolves were being led by Thibodeau back then, did not go well for Brunson.

“You know what Thibs does every time Derrick Rose brings the ball up the court and sees me guarding him? Runs the same exact play, and Derrick Rose continues to kill me,” said Brunson. With Thibodeau being the one who Brunson was interviewing during the segment, the player didn’t shy away from calling him an “a****le” for unleashing Rose onto him. Despite this, when the time came for them to be teammates, both players ended up bonding well. After all, their friendship did not consist of the respect being just one-sided.

Derrick Rose once complimented Jalen Brunson’s usefulness as a teammate: “It’s a Chicago way of playing”

Is one season really enough to determine where a player stands in regards to his prowess within a franchise? Today, many of us have come to regard Jalen Brunson as a valued member of the Knicks, delivering huge averages and working alongside players like Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart to set up commendable offense plays for the franchise. Before that, however, Derrick Rose had already given out a verdict for his teammate.

In a 2022 interview with ‘Heavy’, the now former player revealed that he used to watch Brunson from quite a young age, a fact that he appreciated only more once they became teammates. Describing it as a “fun position to be in,” he added, “You want to be playing behind somebody that’s a dog. And I feel like JB is a dog. The way that he plays, it’s a Chicago way of playing. The ‘Grittiness.’ The way that he manipulates the game. I’m in awe almost every night that he plays, even the games he feels he didn’t play his very best. I still love the way he plays.”

While NBA fans will no longer get to see Derrick Rose descend onto the NBA court, the 2024 NBA All-Star still has a long way to go. Furthermore, if the Knicks ever decide to retire the veteran’s jersey, we can be sure to hear some kinds word from Brunson on that eventful day.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.