CHICAGO-- "MVP" chants bounced off the walls inside of a sold-out United Center, but it wasn't for any of the current Chicago Bulls players or the visiting New York Knicks. Fans were on their feet as Bulls legend and Chicago native Derrick Rose walked out of the home tunnel at halftime of the Bulls' 139-126 win over the Knicks Saturday night.

Jan 4, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks former player Derrick Rose speaks as he is honored at halftime of a game between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

For a half-hour interlude in an otherwise unimportant game between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks on Saturday night, the city of Chicago sank into nostalgia. It wasn’t the way most of the city had dreamed it up over the last eight years.