Derrick Rose Pauses Retirement for ‘One Last Dance’ on Court With Loved One

Ignore the chronology of it and you have Derrick Rose recreating a LeBron James-like iconic moment with his son. It was just September last year that the 3x All-Star bid farewell to NBA hardwood. It seems, however, he wanted to play for his alma mater once before hanging up his basketball shoes. Doing so, he created an iconic moment with his 12-year-old son.

Imagine stepping onto the court for one last game at your alma mater—but this time, with your son by your side. That’s exactly what Derrick Rose did at Simeon High School, creating a moment for the ages.

Slam‘s official Instagram account captured the magic in a viral video, where D-Rose and his son, PJ Rose, showcased their chemistry on the court. From crisp passes and layups to buckets from downtown, the duo left no stone unturned. The thunderous dunks he was known for would’ve been nostalgic but hilariously unfair to his high school opponents.

If you’re wondering about PJ, he’s already turning heads in the basketball world. Earlier this year, he made headlines by joining Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant‘s AAU team, Twelve Time, which typically picks only sixth- and seventh-graders, but PJ was in fifth grade when he made it to the team.

Pretty impressive yes, but not surprising considering from what we’ve seen in the videos of his game. Yep, it’s safe to say the 12-year-old has inherited Derrick Rose’s gift for scoring. After all, this is a kid who’s been practicing with his dad since he could dribble.

The synergy between the father-son duo was also visible during their recent instance of being mic’d up for the 2025 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. And PJ did not spare the opportunity of roasting his father.

“They play for a long time. They play for like, 15-20 years,” D-Rose said during the commentary. “So, your career is nothing to them?” PJ hilariously asked. But jokes apart, the 12-year-old has an immense admiration for his father and aspires to be an NBA great like him. His recent addition to Morant’s AAU team is one step further in that direction.

Derrick Rose’s son is low-key obsessed with his new mentor

Back during his time in the Grizzlies, Rose wanted to give Ja Morant his space. After all, building a relationship with a teammate takes time. Especially when one of you is a former MVP, and the other is a young star navigating the spotlight. But sometimes, kids have their own way of speeding things up. Just ask Rose’s 12-year-old son, PJ.

Imagine this: Rose is checking his phone, and there’s another text from PJ. “Are you by him [Ja Morant]? Are you on the plane? Can you give him the phone?” Rose shared the story during the Grizzlies’ end-of-season press conference in April 2024. “I’m like, ‘No, bruh, I’m trying to give him space.'”

When Derrick Rose signed with Memphis last July, he made it clear he wasn’t there to babysit Morant. Instead, he wanted their bond to grow naturally. Fast forward a season, and not only did trust develop between them, but PJ became an unexpected bridge. While D-Rose was brought in as a mentor for Morant, it turned out Morant became a mentor for PJ, too.

And there’s a sort of poetic connection here. Remember when Rose, as the NBA’s youngest MVP in 2011, inspired a generation with his athleticism? Now, it’s his son looking up at Morant in the same way. For now, though, he must be enjoying the pride of creating an iconic moment with his recent game for Simeon High School.