Although I don’t expect any current members of the Chicago Bulls to be in the running for end-of-season awards, that doesn’t mean fans won’t have someone to root for. That’s because beloved former Bulls legend Derrick Rose has officially been nominated as a finalist for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award.
Since the award’s institution in 2013, no member of the Chicago Bulls has yet to win the award, but that could change as long as this team continues to field competitive rosters and have a few more winning seasons.
Rose joins 11 other players to round out the finalists for the award. Other nominees for the 2022-2023 Teammate of the Year Award include true superstars like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, players that make their whole team better like Jaren Jackson Jr., Jrue Holiday (who is the only player to have won the award more than once), and Mikal Bridges, and even a few fellow veterans like Harrison Barnes and Udonis Haslem.
The finalists for the 2022-23 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
— NBA (@NBA) March 30, 2023
The annual honor recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on & off court leadership as a mentor & role model to other NBA players, & commitment & dedication to team. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/s1qFsCzF96
Although he’s no longer leading the Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose is finally receiving the attention he deserves for his locker room presence.
In his eight years spent in Chicago, Rose was accompanied by several great leaders on that Bulls roster. Players like Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng naturally commanded the team’s respect with their humble veteran presence, while Joakim Noah provided the fire that the team needed to fuel its engine. Even so, no one would deny that Rose was always the true leader of that team, preferring to lead by example more than anything else.
Leadership and a clear hierarchy were things this current Chicago Bulls team very clearly lacked, seeing as how a relatively average player like Patrick Beverley has made such a big impact in such little time. Looking around the league, you’ll see every truly competitive team has at least one, if not several, of these types of players on the roster.
Ironically, Rose currently has a $15.6 million team option for the Knicks next season, one that New York is likely to decline. That means if the Bulls are unsuccessful in bringing Beverley back for next season — or if the team decides to go in a different direction — then Rose would become an ideal top candidate to replace Pat’s role in Chicago during free agency.
Although some fans would prefer Rose to chase a championship ring while he still can, a return to the Bulls could end up being more than just a heartfelt reunion to finish out his career. As seen in New York, Rose still has plenty of value to contribute to a team, regardless if he’s out there on the court or not.