Ever since the Michael Jordan years, the Chicago Bulls have been up and down. For the majority of the last 30 years, they’ve sat in the middle of the pack. But for a brief period of time in the early 2010s, Chicago had hope. And that hope came in the form of Derrick Rose.
The hometown kid was drafted first-overall to the Bulls in 2008, and just one year prior, Chicago picked up Joakim Noah, who would become one of Rose’s right-hand men. The two have been friends since, and recently, they traveled all the way to France to watch soon-to-be number-one pick Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama spent this past season playing for Metropolitans 92 in France, and he just recently helped them advance to the playoffs. The team snapped a photo of Rose and Noah sitting by the court to watch him play, which was relayed to Twitter by Daniel Greenberg.
Former Chicago Bulls players Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose are in France watching Victor Wembanyama play.
(📸: @Metropolitans92) pic.twitter.com/CPJLBqn2kg
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 28, 2023
Chicago had a tiny chance to jump up to the first pick and select Wembanyama, but instead, their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft remained at 11th and was conveyed to the Orlando Magic.
Instead, the San Antonio Spurs won the lottery and will have the right to select Wembanyama. He’ll join a long line of dominant big men selected first overall by the Spurs. It’s a group highlighted by David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
San Antonio also has experience developing French players, as Tony Parker became a dominant force with the Spurs, carving out a Hall-of-Fame career that includes an NBA Finals MVP.
