Friday, Derrick Rose returns home.
It’s not the former NBA MVP’s first trip back to Chicago since he left his hometown franchise in 2016. It will, however, be his first visit since he joined the Pistons, the Central Division rival that beat up, battered and bruised Michael Jordan almost 30 years ago.
The prideful Chicago fan base may need some time to adjust to seeing Rose with “Pistons” across his chest. His arrival in 2008 was the end of a drab era for the Bulls. Jordan left Chicago for good in 1998, after bringing the franchise its sixth NBA title in eight years. After that, the Bulls then finished six seasons with 30 or fewer wins, made only three playoff appearances and got past the first round just once.
But after a 33-49 season in 2007-08, Chicago defied lottery odds (a 1.7 percent chance) to win the No. 1 pick and chose Rose, the homegrown product, over Kansas State’s Michael Beasley.
Rose went on to become…
