Chicago Bulls: Revisiting “Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story”

“Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story” has been out for over a month. Now that we’ve had some time to reflect, here’s an in-depth review of the former Chicago Bulls superstar’s documentary.

When the first commercial for Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story came out, I, like most Chicago Bulls fans, was incredibly hyped. After years of ups and downs while following Derrick Rose, it was finally time to get 100 minutes of behind the scenes footage and unfiltered interviews about the childhood and professional career of Chicago’s son. Now that the documentary has been out for over a month, it’s time to revisit the film and give it an in-depth review.

I was only 13 years old when Derrick Rose was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, so I didn’t understand the gravity of the whole situation. All I knew was that this kid who carried the University of Memphis to the National Championship game was about to put on a Bulls uniform. He was electric. He was about to be the best Bull since Michael Jordan.

The documentary does a phenomenal job of setting up the magnitude of the Bulls getting the No. 1 pick in 2008. But first, they start with Rose’s childhood. The first part of the film focuses on Rose’s rough upbringing around drugs and violence on the south side of Chicago – Englewood, to be specific.

Immediately, you feel for this kid. He saw things and went through things as a child that people shouldn’t ever have to see or go through.

"“When I grew up, it was a five-bedroom house. We had 13 people living in there. Out of the 13 people, five or six of them were crackheads,” said Rose."

Most D-Rose fans knew he had it rough growing up, but the film breaks it down in a way that puts you in his shoes.

"“You’re surviving the whole time,” said Rose. “You’re not living.”"

It helps you, as a fan, understand why it meant so much for the Bulls to win the NBA Draft Lottery in 2008 and select one of their own with the first overall pick. It’s part of the brilliance of this documentary. To see this kid grow up the way he did, and then to see him get drafted with the first overall pick by his home team? Stop it. It’s a story that’s too good for Hollywood.

Once you see Rose get drafted by the Bulls, the film quickly takes you through the rise and fall of his career.

First, you see him break into the NBA during his rookie season. He would end up winning the 2009 Rookie of the Year award and lead the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Not a bad start, right?

Then, you see him destroying the NBA on his way to winning the 2011 MVP award – the youngest player ever to win the award.

Not too long after the early successes, you start to see the tragedies.

It all started out with a torn ACL. Those are never good, but they’re something you can usually recover from. It wasn’t the ACL injury that hurt how some Bulls fans looked at Rose, though. It was the mystery surrounding why he didn’t return sooner than he did.

Most Bulls fans vividly remember that postseason run. Would Rose return at some point in the playoffs? Would he sit out the entire season? It was all a mystery – one that some Bulls fans didn’t appreciate.

Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story does a magnificent job of explaining how fans felt at that time, how the Bulls’ front office felt at that time and how Derrick felt at that time. The doc made one thing clear: despite being medically cleared to play, Rose wasn’t ready to come back. And that’s all that matters.

Once you get a taste of the injuries Rose suffered – and how fans felt during those injuries – the film walks you through the more recent ups and downs of Rose’s career. You get behind the scenes footage of Rose finding out he got traded from the Bulls to the Knicks in 2016. This is by far the best (and worst) moment of the doc.

You see so much. The reaction. The tears. Everything.

Rose was the most iconic Chicago superstar since Michael Jordan, and now the team was trading him. And we, the viewers, get to see how he reacted during that time. It’s simply jaw-dropping. The emotional footage makes the documentary infinitely better.

All we want as fans is to see true emotion in the players we follow. In today’s NBA, players are so good at giving contrived answers in interviews and it’s hard to see genuine emotion come through. Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story lets you see exactly how Derrick felt.

It’s heartwrenching, though. It’s incredibly tough to watch. To see a kid that went through so much and gave the city of Chicago everything he had, find out that his team didn’t want him anymore is truly saddening.

"“It’s Chi, man. That s*** made me who I am,” said a tearful Rose."

If any fans have ever questioned how badly Derrick wanted to be successful in Chicago, just watch that part of the film. You won’t have any more questions.

One thing that Rose made clear, though, is that he doesn’t have any hard feelings towards the Bulls.

"“It’s no hard feelings,” said Rose. “Like nothing, no grudges or anything.”"

Words like that have some Bulls fans hoping for a reunion at some point in time, but that’s a topic for a different day.

The next parts of the documentary are focused on Rose’s career post-Bulls. After playing one season with the Knicks, he signed with the Cavs, got traded to the Jazz (and then was immediately released), and signed with the Timberwolves, where he now seems to finally have some stability.

Ultimately, Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story does an impeccable job of showcasing different sides of the homegrown superstar. A normally stoic individual, all of Rose’s emotions are on full display in this doc. You see him laughing, you see him smiling and you see him crying. The film takes your heart and yanks it around like a child playing with a yo-yo. It’s a wild ride, but it’s 100% worth the watch.

"“Anytime you see me cry or show emotion like that, it comes from a place of appreciation, of knowing where I came from,” said Rose."

One thing I’m confident in: Derrick Rose knows exactly where he came from. He’s humble, hungry, happy and full of love. He’s just a kid from Chicago.

A+. Five stars. Two thumbs up.