Bulls Almost Didn’t Draft Derrick Rose With First Pick In 2008 NBA Draft Due To His Brother’s Criminal History: ‘If You Can’t Accept My Brother, Don’t Pick Me’

The Chicago Bulls almost didn’t draft Derrick Rose with the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft because of his brother’s criminal history. 

Derrick’s older brother, Reggie, got into trouble with the law and the Bulls were hesitant to draft Derrick. 

“We didn’t really know Chicago was going to pick Derrick until the night before,” Reggie Rose said in Derrick’s documentary. “And we received a call from Chicago. Chicago told Derrick they really want to pick him, but it’s some background history with his brother, talkin’ about me. He might not be the No. 1 pick because of some mistakes I made in my life, but Derrick told the Chicago Bulls, if you can’t accept my brother, don’t pick me.”

The Bulls drafted Derrick with the first pick, while the Miami Heat selected Michael Beasley with the second pick. 

In his first season with the Bulls, Derrick averaged 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks in 81 games. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and led Chicago to the playoffs. 

Derrick put up 36 points and 11 assists in his first playoff game, leading the Bulls to an upset win over the Boston Celtics. Even though Boston beat Chicago in seven games, everyone in the NBA knew Rose would soon be a superstar. 

In Year 2, Derrick averaged 20.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks. He made the All-Star team, becoming the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to accomplish that feat. 

In 2010-11, Derrick made NBA history. He won the MVP Award, becoming the youngest MVP of all time. D-Rose averaged 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks.

The Bulls had the best record in the NBA in 2010-11. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Heat in five games. 

In 2011-12, Derrick averaged 21.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks. That was the final season he made an All-Star team. The Memphis product tore his left ACL in Game 1 of the 2012 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers and was never the same player again. 

Derrick missed the entire 2012-13 season. He returned in 2013-14 but only played in 10 games. The explosive point guard tore his right meniscus against the Portland Trail Blazers and underwent season-ending surgery. 

In 2014-15, Derrick averaged 17.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in 51 games. He tore his right meniscus again but was able to return for the 2015 playoffs.

The Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2015 playoffs but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. 

Derrick suffered an eye injury on the first day of practice of the 2015-16 season and underwent surgery. He played with a mask for the first few games before getting medical clearance to remove it. The former MVP averaged 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks in 66 games. 

The Bulls traded Derrick to the New York Knicks in the offseason of 2016. Chicago had Jimmy Butler, who was blossoming into a superstar and Derrick and Butler reportedly had issues behind the scenes. 

In 406 games with the Bulls, Derrick averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks. He made three All-Star teams and one All-NBA team. 

Derrick officially retired from the NBA today. He played for the Bulls, Knicks (twice), Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies. Derrick finished his career with averages of 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks.