Derrick who?
Michael Carter-Williams' head was spinning following his trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Chicago Bulls on Monday so when it came to choosing his jersey number, the guard chose his favorite: No. 1.
No. 1 as in Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.
"They asked me what number I wanted, I said '1' and there wasn't too much discussion," Carter-Williams said prior to the Bulls' exhibition game against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night at the United Center. "I know this organization respects Derrick Rose. It has nothing to do with stepping on anyone's toes or anything like that. He was a great player. He did a lot for this city.
"I wasn't even thinking about it," Carter-Williams said. "There's so much going on. I showed up to the game ready to play against Chicago a couple of days ago. I get traded, I have to move all my stuff, there are a lot of things, to be honest. I wasn't really thinking about Derrick being No. 1."
Carter-Williams went out of his way to dispel any notion he was trying to disrespect Rose, who was traded to the New York Knicks this summer, pointing out he was No. 1 at Syracuse and his first stop in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.
"I've been No. 1 a lot," Carter-Williams said. "The discussion is probably going to be D-Rose, that was his old number. That has nothing to do with D-Rose, who was great for this city. He's an excellent player. I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or anyone's boundaries. It's just a number I like. I was 1 in college, I was 1 in Philly. I felt like I had some success in Philly winning the rookie of the year and when I went to Milwaukee, I was No. 5. It's a new place, I'm trying to get my chip on my shoulder and perform well."
