Matas Bouzelis found ‘motivation’ in Derrick Rose’s shirt retirement
Born in Chicago Matas Buzelis is on the up and up. Sophomore guard for Chicago Bulls only participated in the rising star game on Friday to kick off NBA All-Star weekend. In the process, Buzelis has All-Star aspirations in the long run.
That desire to go far could be attributed to the vision Derrick Rose retirement of his jersey by the Bulls. During All-Star weekend, Bouzelis reflected on the ceremony and what it meant to him, according to SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“It really put more motivation in my head,” Bouzelis said.
“It really gave me more motivation in my mind.
Bulls forward Matas Bouzelis shares what Derrick Rose’s retirement meant to him.
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— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 14, 2026
Rose retired his jersey after the Bulls’ game against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 24. He is one of four other Chicago players to hold the honor. The others were Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love.
Currently, Bouzelis is at the point where he is cultivating his own identity. Certainly, he still is adapting to new dynamics after the Bulls traded away seven players at the trade deadline. Among those players were Kobe White, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic, all of whom were instrumental in mentoring Buzelis in his first year.
Currently, the Bulls are 24-31 and in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Also, they have lost 9 of their last 10 games.
Currently, Bouzelis is averaging 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Bouzelis attended Hinsdale Central High School in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale for his freshman and sophomore years.
Rose is a native of Englewood. The NBA All-Star Weekend concludes with the All-Star Game on Sunday.
After that, the Bulls return to action on Thursday, February 19 against the Toronto Raptors.
2026-02-14 18:21:00
