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Derrick Rose provided best moment of the Bulls' decade — off the court

The Bulls’ best moment of the decade didn’t come on the court.

It didn’t come when Derrick Rose dunked or Luol Deng sank a midrange jumper or Joakim Noah primal screamed or Tom Thibodeau fist pumped.

It came on May 3, 2011, in a suburban hotel ballroom. It came when Derrick Rose addressed his mother, Brenda, in an emotional and eloquent speech while accepting the NBA’s most valuable player award.

This is just one person’s opinion, of course. But anyone in that room, experiencing that raw moment, would be hard-pressed to forget it.

After accepting the award to become the youngest MVP in league history, Rose, then 22, thanked God for giving him his ability; the NBA for acknowledging him; his teammates and coaching staff for pushing him; Bulls ownership and management for signing “good guys” who “love each other”; Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for establishing a foundation of greatness; his trainer, agency, fans and the city of Chicago.