It appears former Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has traded in hoops for horticulture.
Well, at least for a day.
On Thursday afternoon, Rose, who retired from the NBA last fall, collaborated with West Loop florist Planks & Pistils to host a special pop-up flower shop at Tortoise Supper Club in River North. Hundreds of fans lined up hours in advance to snag free rose bouquets and a picture with their apron-clad icon.
The event was part of a series of Rose’s planned special appearances this week, culminating in “Derrick Rose Night” at the Chicago Bulls game against the New York Knicks Saturday night at the United Center. Multiple fans said braving the frigid temperature was worth it to celebrate their Chi-town hero, whom they described as both inspirational and humble.
“You can’t hate him,” said Englewood native Larry Taylor, 32, who secured the first spot in line by arriving at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A fan since he was in high school, Taylor said Rose was not only “Chicago’s finest” but impressive because of his story of persevering in the face of injuries and other challenges.
“He’s just a very genuine person,” said Taylor, who now lives in Garfield Ridge. “A straight-up, straightforward, stand-up kind of guy.”
The exterior of the venue was adorned with flowers, greenery and signs. “Stop and smell the roses,” read one placard.
Entering one by one, visitors selected stems from an assortment of at least 1,200 red roses, as well as a small bundle of baby’s breath. Smiling staffers wrapped the flowers and helped fans make plans to have them delivered to someone in a 15-mile radius for free. After writing a note to their loved ones, they were guided to Rose for both digital pictures and a take-home Polaroid.
“I was honestly shaking,” said 20-year-old Matthew Phan, of Logan Square, who sent the flowers to his mother. “It was so cool. His hands are so soft.”
Phan, who attended the event with a date, Sadelle Aburto, credited Rose with brightening his childhood.
“A bunch of stuff happened at home,” he said. “I would watch his clips and get happy again. It really touched my heart coming here.”
Planks & Pistils owner John Caleb Pendleton said working on the pop-up flower shop has shown him just how much Chicago cares about Rose.
“People really love this man,” said Pendleton, who operates his business inside the Drip Collective coffee shop in the West Loop. “We got to meet him. He was super cool. He is very down-to-earth. And I think that’s why everybody loves him, because he is such a Chicago guy.”
For Pendleton, giving the gift of flowers is a meaningful gesture that inspires deep reflection.
“Flowers truly force you to stop and appreciate them for what they are, right now,” he said. “It forces pause in a world that’s always telling us to move faster.”
Adolpho Rodriguez, 28, of Milwaukee, said he planned to send flowers to his mother. He snagged the second spot in line by waking up early and arriving in Chicago at 5 a.m.
“Derrick Rose is my favorite player of all time," said Rodriguez, who grew up modeling his own approach to playing basketball after the famous athlete. “Because of him I try to be the best version of myself every single day.”
