United Center
"The UC" "The Madhouse on Madison"
280px
The United Center in 2006
Location	1901 West Madison Street Chicago, Illinois 60612
Coordinates	41°52′50″N 87°40′27″W / 41.88056°N 87.67417°W / 41.88056; -87.67417Coordinates: 41°52′50″N 87°40′27″W / 41.88056°N 87.67417°W / 41.88056; -87.67417
Broke ground	April 6, 1992[1]
Built	1992–1994
Opened	August 18, 1994
Renovated	2009–2010 (300 Level)
Owner	Rocky Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf
Operator	Rocky Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf
Construction cost	$175 million ($274 million in 2012 dollars[2])
Architect	HOK Sport (now Populous) W.E. Simpson Company
Project Manager	International Facilities Group, LLC.[3]
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti
Services engineer	Flack + Kurtz[4]
General Contractor	Morse Diesel/Huber Hunt & Nichols[5]
Capacity	Concerts: 23,500 Basketball: 20,917 (2009–present) with standing room at least 23,129 21,711 (1994–2009) Hockey: 19,717 (2009–present) with standing room at least 22,428 20,500 (1994–2009)
Tenants
Chicago Bulls (NBA) (1994–present) Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) (1994–present)

The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago, Illinois. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. The plan to build the arena was created by Bill Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf, the owners of the two sports teams. The United Center's predecessor was the indoor Chicago Stadium, the original "Madhouse on Madison", which was demolished after the newer arena opened for business on August 18, 1994. The east side of the stadium features statues of Michael Jordan (known as "The Spirit"), Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, while a statue of various Blackhawks sits to the north on Madison Street, where the Chicago Stadium was located. United Airlines pays about $1.8 million per year until 2014 for its naming rights.^[6] United merged with Continental Airlines in October 2010, retaining the latter's logo and corporate look. The stadium continued to use United's previous logo for the duration of the 2010-11 season. For the 2011-12 season, all the previous United signs were updated with the new logo. Two new lit signs on the east and west ends of the arena saying "United Center" with the new United logo in the middle was revealed below the upper level suites complimenting the "Madhouse" signs on the north and south sides.

Arena information[link]

The United Center, which is currently owned by Rocky Wirtz and Reinsdorf, covers 960,000 square feet (89,187 m²) and is located on a 46-acre (19 ha) parcel, west of the Chicago Loop. The arena is the largest in the United States in physical size, though not in capacity. Its exterior bears a striking resemblance to that of Chicago Stadium. It seats 19,717 (not including standing room) for hockey (highest attendance at a Blackhawks game in 2012 was 22,077 vs. St. Louis), 20,917 (not including standing room) for basketball (highest attendance at a Bulls game in 2012 was 23,028 vs. Miami) and up to 23,500 for concerts. The United Center hosts over 200 events per year and has drawn over 20 million visitors since its opening. It is known for routinely exceeding seating capacity for Bulls and Blackhawks games.

United Center's acoustics were designed to amplify the noise level in order to recreate "The Roar" – the din of noise that made Chicago Stadium famous, especially during hockey games. During hockey season, an Allen Organ that is a replica of the old arena's famous Barton organ is used; recreating the old organ's notes took two years.

As of the 2009-10 renovation, the stadium has 169 executive suites on three levels.

Notable events[link]

In addition to more than 80 Bulls and Blackhawks games each year, the United Center has hosted other sporting events such as University of Illinois basketball, the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament (from the first tournament in 1998 to 2001, then in odd-numbered years from 2003 to 2007, before the tournament moved permanently to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis), the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament (hosted four times, including 2011), the Roundball Classic, and the Great Eight Classic.

U2 filmed two concerts during the American leg of their Vertigo Tour for the concert film Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago. The Dave Matthews Band released Live in Chicago 12.19.98 as a live album and a bootleg video of the webcast of the performance is widely in circulation among DMB fans.

The United Center has also provided a Chicago home for Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice. During The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, which occur once per year, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks have a tradition of taking a two week road trip. This year the Circus will be in town during June 27, so the Bulls will not be in the regular season.

The arena was the Bulls' home during their second run of three consecutive championships, hosting the 1996, 1997, and 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls won the 1996 and 1997 series in the sixth game at home, but won the 1998 series at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, which is now known as the EnergySolutions Arena.

The United Center was also the site of the World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view SummerSlam in 1994 – the first major event held inside the building.^[7] It also hosted the last of World Championship Wrestling's annual Spring Stampede pay-per-views in 2000.

The United Center was also the venue of the 1996 Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic Party nominated as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Al Gore, the incumbent holders of the respective offices, who would be re-elected as a result of the general election held that November.

The Stanley Cup Finals were played in the arena for the first time in 2010. However, the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1961 at Wachovia Center, now Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia.

On the weekend of March 5–6, 2011, the Professional Bull Riders made their Built Ford Tough Series debut at the United Center.^[8] It was their third Chicago-area visit, having previously visited Rosemont's Allstate Arena in 2006 and 2008. The event at the United Center presented a unique scenario in that instead of dirt, white stone was used to cover the arena floor.

The Blackhawks announced that hockey legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita would receive bronze statues in their honor outside of the United Center during the 2011–12 NHL season.^[9]

The Illinois State High School Hockey Championships are hosted at the United Center yearly for the Blackhawk Cup.

On Feb 21, 2011, Lady Gaga performed a sold-out show apart of her Monster Ball Tour.

On May 17, 2011, Oprah The Farewell Season: Oprah's Surprise Spectacular was taped at the United Center. The program aired on television on May 23 and 24, 2011.

On June 17 and 18, 2011, boy bands New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys also known as NKOTBSB performed for two sold out concerts.

On July 8, 2011, Britney Spears performed a sold-out concert as apart of her Femme Fatale Tour.

On January 28, 2012 The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first nationally televised event at the arena: UFC on Fox.. UFC on Fox 2 was the UFC's 2nd live prime-time event on Fox. The headlining fight was former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, with Evans winning by unanimous decision. He will face current champion Jon Jones.

300 Level renovations[link]

The United Center's configuration for Blackhawks hockey games.

New for the 2009-10 season, the United Center’s 300 Level features a renovated concourse with 144 flat screen televisions powered by LG, new food and beverage stations above select seating sections and two new bars that open up to panoramic views of the arena. During the 2010 off-season, two additional bars with panoramic views of the arena were added along with the other two.

The United Center includes:

• Graphics and signs highlighting “The Madhouse on Madison.”
• A variety of new menu items provided by the United Center’s new food and beverage provider, Levy Restaurants.
• A new concession stand and seating area located in Section 326 called “Backstage. ”This area replicates the atmosphere of being backstage at a United Center concert and will include photos of music acts that played at the United Center along with a specialized menu from Levy Restaurants.
• New concession stands and bars located at the top of the 300 Level on the north side of the arena to provide fans sitting in that area with easy access to food and beverage service.
• Two new novelty areas carrying merchandise unique to The Madhouse on Madison.
• New concourse food stations with increased seating.
• New video systems featuring photography, video and animation on the concourse walls which will create images and specialized programming for each individual event.

Banners[link]

The following banners hang from the rafters of the United Center honoring past and present Bulls and Blackhawks.

Chicago Bulls Retired Numbers

• 4 Jerry Sloan
• 10 Bob Love
• 23 Michael Jordan
• 33 Scottie Pippen
• Coach Phil Jackson
• General Manager Jerry Krause

Championship Banners

• 1974-75 Midwest Division Champions
• 1990-91,1991-92,1992-93,1995-96*,1996-97,1997-98, 2010-11 Central Division Champions
• 1990-91,1991-92,1992-93,1995-96,1996-97,1997-98 Eastern Conference Champions
• 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 NBA World Champions
• *A banner with the number 72 is hung below the 1996 division title to denote the Bulls all time record 72-10 season.

Chicago Blackhawks Retired Numbers

• 1 Glenn Hall
• 3 Pierre Pilote
• 3 Keith Magnuson
• 9 Bobby Hull
• 18 Denis Savard
• 21 Stan Mikita
• 35 Tony Esposito

Championships

• 1969-70 East Division Champions
• 1970-71,1971-72,1972-73 West Division Champions
• 1975-76,1977-78,1978-79,1979-80 Smythe Division Champions
• 1982-83,1985-86,1989-90,1990-91,1992-93 Norris Division Champions
• 2009-10 Central Division Champions
• 1970-71,1972-73,1991-92 Campbell Conference Champions
• 2009-10 Western Conference Champions
• 1990-91 Presidents' Trophy Champions
• 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010 Stanley Cup Champions

See also[link]

Gates 2 and 3 on the North side of the United Center.

• Gene Honda - Public address announcer for the Blackhawks, DePaul Basketball, Chicago White Sox and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Final Four.
• Jim Cornelison - National Anthem singer for Blackhawks games.
• Harvey Wittenberg - Former Blackhawks public address announcer who now fills in for Honda when absent.
• Frank Pellico - Current Blackhawks organist.
• Tommy Edwards - Current Bulls public address announcer and disk jockey on 104.3 K-Hits
• Ray Clay - Former Bulls public address announcer during the team's NBA championship days
• U.S. Cellular Field - Home of the Chicago White Sox.
• Wrigley Field - Home of the Chicago Cubs.
• Soldier Field - Home of the Chicago Bears.
• Toyota Park - Home of the Chicago Fire and Chicago Bliss
• Allstate Arena - Home of the Chicago Rush, Chicago Wolves, Chicago Sky, and the DePaul Blue Demons college basketball team.
• Sears Centre - Home of the Chicago Slaughter and Chicago Express.
• Benny the Bull - The Bulls mascot.
• Tommyhawk - The Blackhawks mascot.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: United Center

• The United Center web site

Derrick Rose

No. 1 – Chicago Bulls
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1988-10-04) October 4, 1988 (age 23) Chicago, Illinois
Nationality	American
High school	Simeon Career Academy
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Memphis (2007–2008)
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2008–present
Career history
2008–present	Chicago Bulls
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Valuable Player (2011) NBA Rookie of the Year (2009) 3× NBA All-Star (2010–2012) All-NBA First Team (2011) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2009) NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge Champion (2009)

Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Born in Chicago, Rose learned the game of basketball from his three older brothers.^[1] In high school, he won two state championships and was rated by scouts as the top point guard prospect in the country after graduation.^{[citation needed]} He played for the University of Memphis Tigers and reached the NCAA national championship game in 2008. Shortly after, Rose declared for the 2008 NBA Draft and was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls.^[2] In his first year of professional basketball, Rose was voted the Rookie of the Year^[3] and was selected to the All-Rookie Team.^[4] In his second season, Rose was selected as an NBA All-Star for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game;^[5] he was also named a starter for the U.S. team at the 2010 FIBA World Championships.^[6] Since being drafted, Rose has led the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs every year. In 2011, he received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the youngest player ever to win this award. He joined Michael Jordan as the only Chicago Bulls players to win the honor.

In 2009, an NCAA investigation revealed that Rose's SAT scores had been invalidated, making him retroactively ineligible to play for Memphis. As a result, the NCAA vacated Memphis's entire 2007–08 season.^[7][8]

Early life[link]

Derrick Rose was born and raised in the Englewood area, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side. He was Brenda Rose's fourth son after Dwayne, Reggie and Allan, but the first in seven years. All three were talented basketball players who taught Rose the in and outs of basketball on nearby courts.^[1] As his talent for the sport grew, Rose began to attract much more outside attention in Chicago's basketball circles, leading his mother and brothers to restrict outside contact to him, fearing his road to the NBA would be exploited and derailed by outside parties such as street agents, such as with the case with former Chicago prospect Ronnie Fields.^[9]

High school[link]

By the time Rose enrolled at Simeon Career Academy in 2003, he was a hot commodity for collegiate coaches. Despite his reputation, he played freshmen and JV basketball for the Wolverines. He wore No. 25 in honor of Ben "Benji" Wilson, a former promising player who was murdered by a gang member during his senior year in 1984.^[10] Rose wasn't allowed on varsity due to a long-standing tradition that head coach Bob Hambric, who had been with the school since 1980 had: no freshman on the varsity team. That rule didn't lessen Rose's play and he went on to put up 18.5 points, 6.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and led both the freshmen and sophomores to city championships with a 24–1 record.^[11] Hambric softened his stance and allowed the freshman a chance to play on varsity in the state tournament, but Rose declined, wanting the players to get due credit.^[12] The next year Hambric retired and Robert Smith was hired, opening the path to varsity. In Rose's much-publicized debut, he had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals over Thornwood High School in a sold-out game filled with college scouts and coaches.^[13] He led the Wolverines to a 30–5 mark while averaging 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.4 steals but the season ended after a loss in state regionals. Rose's play garnered him his first national award: a Parade Third Team All-American spot.^[14]

During Rose's junior year in 2006, the Simeon Wolverines broke through and won the Chicago Public League championship held at the United Center where Rose starred with 25 points and crowd pleasing dunks. The team advanced through the playoffs and earned a berth in the Class AA state championship against Richwoods High School, where a fourth quarter buzzer beater by Richwood forced overtime. The score was knotted at 29 late in the extra period when Rose stole the ball and buried the game winning jumper as time expired, giving Simeon its first state title since the Wilson-led Wolverines won in 1984. The team finished 33–4, nationally ranked^[15] and Rose was awarded with an All-State Illinois mention, EA Sports All-American Second Team pick^[16] and another Parade All-American selection.^[17]

Entering his senior year, Rose was ranked the fifth best prospect in the nation by Sports Illustrated. In January 2007, Simeon traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City in January 2007 to play Rice High School and star guard Kemba Walker.^[18] The Wolverines, however, lost 53–51.^[19][20] The season's highlight was a nationally televised contest on ESPN against Virginia perennial power Oak Hill Academy two weeks later. Matched up with hyped junior guard Brandon Jennings, Rose had 28 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds and held Jennings to zero points in the first three quarters, 17 overall in a 78–75 win.^[21][22] For his performance, USA Today named him their high school player of the week.^[23] Simeon went on to repeat as Public League champions^[24] and defended their state championship, defeating O'Fallon High School 77–54.^[25] In doing so, Simeon became the first Chicago Public League school to win two straight state championships. In his final high school game, Rose scored 2 points, but pulled down 7 rebounds and totaled 8 assists. As a result, Simeon big man Tim Flowers scored 35 points.^[26] The Wolverines ended the season 33–2 and ranked 1st in the nation by Sports Illustrated^[27] and 6th on USA Today's Super 25.^[28] Rose averaged 25.2 points, 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals.

Overall Simeon's record while Rose played was 120–12.^[11] After his senior year, Rose was again All-State after being named Illinois Mr. Basketball^[29] and was named to the McDonald's All-American team.^[30] He was also awarded with First Team honors by Parade selection and USA Today^[31] and USA Today First Team All-American. Rose was selected to play in the Jordan Brand All-Star Game and Nike Hoop Summit. In 2009, Rose was named the decade's third greatest high school point guard by ESPN RISE magazine behind Chris Paul and T.J. Ford,^[32] and had his jersey number (#25) retired along with Ben Wilson.^[33]

High school statistics[link]

(*) – Non–varsity season

College[link]

Rose while playing at the University of Memphis.

Rose accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Memphis Tigers under John Calipari, who recruited him after seeing the high schooler play in an AAU game.^[34] Strong efforts were made by Indiana University and in-state University of Illinois to sign Rose to their own programs.^[35] Illinois in particular planned to pair Rose and their five-star recruit Eric Gordon, who had played AAU basketball with Rose, together.^[36] Gordon however retracted his verbal commitment from the Fighting Illini, opting to play for Indiana, and Rose subsequently gave his verbal commitment before the start of his senior season.^[37] Rose chose Memphis because of the school's history of putting players in the NBA and the prospect of Rod Strickland, a 17 year veteran of the league, mentoring him. Rose switched to #23, due to the fact that #25 had been retired by the school in honor of Penny Hardaway.^[38]

With the addition of Rose and led by veteran upperclassmen Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts, the Tigers started out the season ranked third in the nation. Memphis sprinted to a 26–0 start and claimed the number one ranking in the country for the first time in over 25 years before falling to the University of Tennessee Volunteers 66–62 in February.^[39] Memphis was able to bounce back and capture the Conference USA Tournament to qualify for the "Big Dance" with a 33–1 record.^[40] Rose averaged 14.9 points per game, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season and earned All-American Third Team honors among others.^[41] He finished as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as well as the John R. Wooden Award.^[42]

Memphis was seeded No. 1 in the South Region and blew out most of its competition on its way to the Final Four. Rose earned high praise for his increased focus on defense, hounding Texas Longhorn guard D.J. Augustin into a low-percentage game in the Elite Eight.^[43] In a match-up against the UCLA in the Final Four, Rose finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds while putting tight pressure on Bruins' point Darren Collison to lead the Tigers to the NCAA championship game against the University of Kansas Jayhawks with a 85–67 victory.^[44] The win set a NCAA mark for most wins in a season (38).^[45] Against Kansas, Rose scored 17 points on 7–17 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and dished seven assists, but missed a critical free throw at the end of the second half, and Memphis fell in overtime, 75–68.^[46] Memphis concluded the season 38–2. Rose was named to the All-Final Four team after averaging 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6 assists during the tourney.^[47]

On April 15, Rose declared for the 2008 NBA Draft.^[48]

Grading controversy[link]

According to the University of Memphis' legal counsel Sheri Lipman, a month after the loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, the NCAA sent a letter to the school stating that Rose had "an invalidated standardized test score the previous year at Chicago's Simeon High School". The next January, the NCAA sent another letter, charging Memphis with knowing that Rose had someone else take his SAT for him.^[49] Memphis started its own investigation and sent its response back on April 24.^[50]

On May 28, the Memphis Commercial Appeal obtained the letter through the Freedom of Information Act and released it. Although the player's name was redacted due to privacy laws, process of elimination and sources revealed the player as Derrick Rose. The next day in a separate investigation, James Sullivan, Inspector General of the Chicago Public Schools district's Board of Education, released a report of his investigation stating that four student-athletes of a CPS school had one-month grade boosts to alter their college transcripts.^[51] The Chicago Sun-Times revealed the school as Simeon Career Academy and that three of the four were Rose and his former teammates Kevin Johnson and Tim Flowers, prominent members of the back-to-back championship teams.^[51] The newspaper claimed that Rose's grade was changed from a D to a C.^[51] Another part of the report stated that "high school staff lost the original permanent records for three of the above mentioned students athletes" (including the unknown four).^[52] Sullivan started the investigation because "none of the grade changes were supported by any documentation”. He also failed to find a suspect as "at least seven people at Simeon had the ability to access student grades and records".^[51] Illinois High School Association (IHSA) executive director Marty Hickman reacted by saying, "It is obvious that this is worth taking a look into".^[52] Robert Smith, who coached the Wolverines from 2004 to 2007, denied any wrongdoing.^[51] District spokeswoman Monique Bond said the students involved probably didn't know about the grade change.

Additionally, allegations surfaced that Rose's brother, Reggie, had been allowed to travel with the team for free on several occasions.^[53]

Memphis contended that it had learned of the allegations about Rose's SAT score shortly after he enrolled at the school. It conducted its own investigation, in which Rose was questioned by four school officials. Ultimately, Memphis was unable to find any evidence that Rose had cheated based on what was available at the time, and cleared him to play.^[54]

Rose released a statement through his lawyer Daniel E. Reidy: "Mr. Rose is aware of the allegations reported in the press. Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the University of Memphis' athletic and legal departments’ investigation of this issue when he was a student, and that investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on his part."

On August 20, the NCAA vacated Memphis' 2007–08 season. It took the line that even though Rose's score hadn't been thrown out until after the season, strict liability required that he be declared ineligible.^[8] It also determined that even without the questions about his test score, Rose would have lost his eligibility in December 2007 due to Reggie being allowed to travel for free.^[55]

College statistics[link]

Note: college statistics are unofficial, as Rose's achievements have officially been stricken from Memphis's record books.

NBA career[link]

Chicago Bulls (2008–present)[link]

2008–09 season: Rookie of the Year[link]

Derrick Rose during his rookie season.

Rose was selected first overall in the draft by the Chicago Bulls,^[2] an unlikely event considering that Chicago had only a 1.7% chance of capturing the top pick in the draft lottery held that past May.^[56] He was selected to the U.S. Select Team to scrimmage against and prepare the National Team for the Olympics in Beijing.^[57][58][59] In mid-July, he played two games in the Orlando Pro Summer League until forced out by tendonitis in his right knee, ending his summer,^[60] but returned in October to play all eight preseason games.^[61]

Rose started his rookie year strong, becoming the first Bulls draftee to score 10 points or more in his first 10 games since Michael Jordan,^[62] and earned Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for November and December.^[63][64] During the All-Star Weekend, Rose played in the Rookie Challenge,^[65] and won the Skills Challenge, where he beat out several All-Stars to become the first rookie to claim the trophy.^[66] Overcoming a January and February slump, Rose returned to form and won monthly rookie honors in March. Meanwhile, the Bulls, re-energized by the trade deadline acquisitions of John Salmons and Brad Miller, finished the regular season on a 12–4 spurt to qualify for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago's late push contributed to Rose's winning Rookie of the Year, joining Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000) as the only Bulls to do so.^[3] He was also the first number-one draft pick since LeBron James to win the award. He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists (leading all rookies) and 3.9 rebounds per game and was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.^[4]

In his playoff debut against the defending champion Boston Celtics, Rose recorded 36 points (tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for points scored by a rookie in his playoff debut set 1970), 11 assists, and 4 rebounds as the Bulls prevailed in a 105–103 overtime win on the road.^[67][68][69] Rose became the second player in NBA history to record 35 points and 10 assists in his playoff debut, after Chris Paul. Rose averaged 19.7 points on 47.5% shooting, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in his playoff debut, as the Bulls were defeated by the Celtics in 7 games.^[70]

2009–10 season: All Star bid[link]

Rose's sophomore season started off on a bad note when he injured his ankle in his first preseason game. Rose would go on to miss the rest of the preseason. Rose did start the Bulls season opener against the San Antonio Spurs but played limited minutes in a win. Rose's ankle bothered him for most of November, but as his ankle healed, his game improved greatly. On January 28, 2010, Derrick Rose was elected to his first career All Star Game as a reserve for the Eastern Conference, making him the first Bulls player to make the All-Star game since Michael Jordan in 1998.^[71] Rose had eight points, four assists and three steals in his first game as an All-Star. The Bulls once again made the playoffs in the 2009–10 season finishing with a 41–41 record. In the playoffs Rose averaged 26.8 points and 7.2 assists, but the Bulls still lost in five games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[72]

On April 13, 2010, Rose scored 39 points against the Celtics, making 15–22 field goals, and 9–10 free throws.

According to a January 2010 report by ESPN, Rose had the 4th best selling jersey in the league.^[73]

2010–11 season: MVP season[link]

Rose led the Bulls to 62 wins, and the best record overall during the 2010–11 NBA season.

On October 30, 2010, in the Bulls' second game of the season, Rose scored 39 points in a 101–91 win against the Detroit Pistons. Two days after, Rose contributed 13 assists, helping Luol Deng score his career high 40 points in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

On December 10, 2010, Rose scored 29 points and had 9 assists, leading the Bulls to their first victory over the Los Angeles Lakers since December 19, 2006.

On January 17, 2011, Derrick Rose finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists recording his first career triple-double against the Memphis Grizzlies.

On January 27, 2011, Rose was announced as a starting guard on the 2011 NBA All-Star Team for the East squad.^[74]

On February 17, 2011, in the Bulls' last game before the All-Star break, Derrick Rose recorded a regular-season career high 42 points, along with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, as the Bulls beat the San Antonio Spurs 109–99.

On March 26, 2011, Rose had a career high 17 assists, along with 30 points, and 3 rebounds, in a 95–87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

At the end of the 2010–11 NBA season the Bulls finished with a league leading record of 62–20.^[75] Their 60+ wins was the Bulls' first since the 1997–98 season and sixth 60+ win in franchise history.^[76]

At season's end, Rose became only the third player in the past thirty years of the NBA to record 2,000 points and 600 assists in a single season. The other two players were LeBron James and Michael Jordan.^[77]

On May 3, 2011, Rose, at the age of 22, was named the NBA Most Valuable Player, surpassing Wes Unseld as the youngest player in league history to receive the award (Unseld won the award during the 1968-69 NBA season at age 23). Rose joined Michael Jordan as the only players to receive the award in Chicago Bulls history.^[78]

In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls faced the Miami Heat, led by their three All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Bulls lost the series in five games. During the 2011 playoffs, Rose averaged 27.1 points per game, but only shot 39% from the field and 24% for three pointers.^[79]

2011–12 season: Injury-plagued season[link]

In December 2011, Rose signed a five-year contract extension with the Bulls for $94.8 million. The contract was 30 percent of the Bulls' salary cap, the maximum allowed under a rule dubbed the "Derrick Rose Rule" from the 2011 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.^[80]

Rose was voted as an All-Star Game starter for the second consecutive year. He was the second leading vote getter behind Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

During Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose injured his left knee while trying to jump. He was immediately helped off the court. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter with about a minute left in the game. An MRI later revealed that Rose tore the ACL in his left knee and would miss the rest of the season.^[81] Head coach Tom Thibodeau was criticized for keeping Rose late in the game when the Bulls were leading by 12 points.^[82]

Player profile[link]

Standing at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), Rose is a point guard. Rose has established himself as an elite athlete who is extremely strong and fast.^[83] He constantly attacks the basket and finishes in traffic which contributes to his career average of 21 points per game.^[84] Rose is known for is ability to convert difficult layups. Rose's excellent body control and the ability to change direction extremely well contribute to his ability to get to the rim.^[85] Rose is at his best in the full court set because of his athleticism. He can initiate the pick and roll at an elite level, contributing to his career average of 6.8 assists per game.^[86] Throughout his first two seasons the main weakness cited in Rose's ability was his three point range; he averaged only .242 on three point field goals throughout his first two seasons.^[87][88] Rose greatly improved his three point range in his third season (his MVP season). He averaged .332 on three point field goals and made 128 three pointers in that season alone. During the off-season, during which he worked on his three point shot, Rose said, "It's there; I have a consistent 3-point shot now." He added in another interview, "You'll see. I just have so much confidence in my jump shot now. It's coming along so good. It's past even my expectations at this point." ^[89]

NBA statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Career highs[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Triple-double[link]

Recorded 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds (in 40 minutes) at Memphis Grizzlies on 02011-01-17January 17, 2011.^[90]

Accomplishments and awards[link]

NBA[link]

• NBA Most Valuable Player: 2011^[78]
• NBA Rookie of the Year: 2009^[3]
• All-NBA First Team: 2011^[91]
• NBA All-Star Selection: 2010,^[92] 2011,^[74] 2012^[93]
• Skills Challenge Champion: 2009
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2009^[4]
• Conference Rookie of the Month: November, December, March

• Conference Player of the Week Selections

• Conference Player of the Month Selection

• Invited and agreed to play for the United States men's national basketball team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
  • Awarded "Player of the Game" Trophy after an exhibition against Greece.
• Nominated for "Best Breakthrough Athlete" at the ESPY Awards 2009
• Youngest player in NBA history to win Most Valuable Player (&1000000000000002200000022 years, &10000000000000211000000211 days)

College[link]

• Freshman year (2007–2008)
  • NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team^[47]
  • NCAA Tournament South Region MVP^[94]
  • NABC 3rd Team All-American^[41]
  • NABC All-District 7 First Team
  • All-Conference USA First Team^[95]
  • Conference USA Freshman of the Year^[95]
  • Conference USA All Freshman Team 1st Team^[95]
  • Sporting News All-Freshman Team^[96]
  • Conference USA Player of the Week for games between December 17 through the 23rd^[97]
  • 2K Sports College Hoops Classic MVP^[98]
  • 2K Sports College Hoops Classic All-Tournament Team

High school[link]

• Senior year (2006–2007)
  • Class AA State Championship
  • Class AA Tournament MVP
  • Illinois Mr. Basketball 2007^[29]
  • 2007 McDonald's All-American^[30]
  • USA Today 2007 All-USA First Team^[99]
  • Parade 2007 All-America First Team^[31]
  • EA Sports 2007 All-American First Team^[100]
  • All State Illinois 2007^[101]
  • MaxPreps.com All-America First Team
  • Slam Magazine 2007 First Team
  • MidStateHoops.com 2007 Class AA Player of the Year^[102]
• Junior year (2005–2006)
  • Class AA State Championship
  • Class AA Tournament MVP
  • Parade 2006 All-American Fourth Team^[17]
  • All State Illinois 2006
  • EA Sports 2006 All-American Second Team^[16]
• Sophomore year (2004–2005)
  • Parade 2005 All-American Third Team^[14]
  • Chicago Sun-Times All-Area^[103]

Off the court[link]

Endorsements[link]

After being drafted by the Bulls in 2008, Rose signed a shoe deal with Adidas for $1 million per year.^[104][105] He has also signed with Wilson Sporting Goods.^[106] Other endorsement deals include Skullcandy headphones, Powerade, Force Factor sports drinks and a suburban Chicago Nissan dealership.^[107] His agent is former Bulls guard B. J. Armstrong.

Rose was announced as the cover athlete for the 2K Sports Downloadable Content game, NBA 2K10 Draft Combine, which was released on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3.^[108]

In 2011, Rose was estimated by Crain's Chicago Business to earn $1.5–$2.5 million annually in endorsements, ranking just outside the top 10 NBA players in that category.^[109] In December 2011, it was reported that Rose was nearing a contract extension with Adidas, worth $250 million over 10 years.^[110]

Salaries[link]

See also[link]

• 2006 high school boys basketball All-Americans

Notes[link]