LeBron James made his free agency decision on Friday, stunning the sports world by signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.
And on Saturday, Derrick Rose was asked for his thoughts on James’ decision to sign with Philadelphia in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago.
Rose was named the 2010-11 NBA MVP, finishing ahead of James (who placed third). They also faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals that season, with James’ Miami Heat defeating Rose’s Chicago Bulls. Additionally, they played together as teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017-18 NBA season. And NBC Sports’ Reggie Miller also made a wild claim in January that, “For a six-to-eight-year stretch, [Rose] and LeBron were battling for who was the best player in the game.”
So, Rose and James have long been linked in the NBA world. But while James is playing at 41 years old (42 in December), Rose retired from the NBA in 2024 after a 16-year career. And now that he’s retired, Rose doesn’t seem to have any interest whatsoever in following the league’s news and rumors.
“I was going to ask you about where LeBron was going to end up, but what do you think about LeBron’s decision 2.0?” new Fox 32 Chicago reporter Devan Kaney asked Rose.
Derrick Rose does NOT care about LeBron 😭 pic.twitter.com/dTy0qpgKpt
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) July 26, 2026
“With the 76ers?” Rose asked.
“Yeah, he landed with the Sixers,” Kaney said.
“I mean, I’m out of the game,” Rose responded. “I’m happy for him, but that’s not my life no more.”
So, let this serve as a notice to the media that if you want takes on current happenings in the NBA, Rose clearly has no interest in providing them. The three-time NBA All-Star and former top overall pick is “out of the game” and enjoying retirement.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.