Derrick Rose is back in the city that raised him—this time not as an MVP point guard, but as a full-time father. In Joakim Noah’s debut episode of NOMAD, Rose shared an honest and emotional look into what brought him home just six months after retiring from the NBA.
Joakim, who has known Rose for years, pointed out how present and dedicated he’s become as a dad. He admitted he had a feeling that family played a major role in Rose’s decision to return and asked him to open up about it. That’s when Rose revealed a deeper personal reflection he’s been having since leaving basketball behind.
Rose explained that retirement finally gave him space to really think about the difference between being a dad and simply being a father. He said he grew up viewing his own father in the “father” category because he was never around. That absence stuck with him, even if he didn’t fully process it until recently.
A conversation with his mother a few months earlier hit him hard. She told him how much she loved hearing his kids call him “daddy,” and Rose said the comment made him pause and really think about the type of parent he wants to be. That moment pushed him into a deeper level of self-reflection—and solidified his commitment to being fully present for his children.
“With my kids,” he said, “I have to give them my all right now.”
Rose also reflected on Joakim Noah’s upbringing, saying he admired how Noah’s father showed up for his family and how that example shaped the kind of man Noah became. Rose said he wants to provide that same foundation for his own children.
For Derrick Rose, coming back to Chicago wasn’t about basketball, business, or nostalgia. It was about breaking generational patterns, being present, and giving his kids the father he never had.
To see full interview click here.
