Derrick Rose sat down at the Nasdaq MarketSite with Forbes senior writer Jabari Young and made it plain: he’s done with the sidelines and he’s moving into the marketplace with the same competitiveness that made him an MVP. The conversation covered his NBA career, a new book called The PoohPrint, and an unmistakable transition from athlete to businessman that shows a man determined to keep building.
Chicago’s decision to add Rose’s No. 1 to the United Center rafters is more than ceremonial — it’s a salute to grit, hometown loyalty, and the comeback story Americans admire. The Bulls set the retirement for the 2025–26 season, an overdue recognition that places Rose among franchise legends and cements his legacy in a city that knows what hard work looks like.
What stood out in that Forbes conversation wasn’t nostalgia; it was plans. Rose talked about launching businesses from a florist shop to construction ventures, chuckled about a missed Chick-fil-A opportunity, and framed entrepreneurship as the next championship to win — no government bailout, no celebrity entitlement, just good old-fashioned initiative.
That mindset should inspire every American who believes in self-reliance. While elites spend airtime debating symbolic gestures and culture wars, Rose is quietly doing what conservatives have always championed: turning earned income and reputation into lasting enterprises that create jobs and build neighborhoods. The lesson is simple — pride in work and prudent risk-taking beat headlines and hand-wringing every time.
Rose’s investments — from hydration brands to real estate and even a stake in Freestyle Chess — show a willingness to diversify and back ventures he believes in, even when his financial advisors raised eyebrows. He earned roughly $166 million over his career and now wants to convert that into something that outlives highlight reels, not just another endorsement check. That’s the kind of forward thinking our country needs more of.
In a country quick to idolize personalities, Rose’s refusal to seek a statue was refreshingly humble and telling. He explicitly pushed back on the idea of being idolized after watching the controversy over another star’s statue, underscoring a conservative virtue too often missing from public life: humility before praise and substance over spectacle.
Derrick Rose’s story — from South Side kid to NBA MVP to pragmatic businessman — should be a roadmap for Americans tired of performative gestures and empty promises. Celebrate the jersey in the rafters, sure, but more importantly celebrate the work, the reinvention, and the decision to build tangible value for one’s family and community. That’s the kind of legacy that actually strengthens this country.
