Derrick Rose | Homegrown

Derrick Rose's retirement week had a lot of moments. This one was for Chicago.

Homegrown brought Rose back to Simeon Career Academy, his alma mater, for a community basketball event built around the neighborhood that raised him. A real homecoming for the students, the local players, and the fans who watched him grow up on that court.

Our team handled the creative from the ground up. New seats for the basketball team. New whistles and clipboards for the coaches. We created Simeon hand towels for every fan that walked through the door. Everything we brought is still there today. That was the point. We weren't decorating an event. We were leaving something behind.

I conceived the timeline wall in the hallway. Every Simeon alumni who made it to the pros has a display of them mounted the hallway. Their photo, their story, their journey from the same halls to the highest level. It lives there permanently now so that every student who walks past it can see themselves in it.

I also designed Pooh's Candy Shop, named after Rose's nickname, earned from a lifelong sweet tooth. Students lined up to grab handfuls of his favorites: Garrett's Popcorn, Twizzlers, Milk Duds, Frooties. A small thing that made the whole room feel like his.

The local news, SportsCenter, and Slam all covered it. But the measure of the day was never the coverage. Everything we brought to Simeon is still there. Still being used by the students and coaches who needed it most.