Derrick Rose was the first pick in the 2008 Draft by the Chicago Bulls.
A native of the city’s South Side, Rose was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2011. He inspired many including Los Angeles Lakers forward, Anthony Davis who is also a Chicago native.
So just how much did Rose inspire Davis?
“A lot,” Davis told me.
“I mean I watched him growing up. One of the first celebrity guys I’ve seen playing basketball. Went to a couple of games in Simeon High School.”
Derrick Rose’s navigation over the last few years has had ups and downs.
Rose suffered a myriad of ACL and MCL injuries that changed the trajectory of his career.
Rose’s athleticism has resurfaced while playing for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Over the last year and a half, his performance has been solid.
Derrick Rose’s Recent Stats & Solid Play
Derrick Rose (Getty)
The consistency began during the 2018 NBA Playoffs when he averaged 14.0 points per game coming off of the bench for the Minnesota Timberwolves. D-Rose also shot 50.9 percent from the field and shot 70 percent from the three point line.
In February, D-Rose was the T-Wolves’ leader in assists and their second-leading scorer behind All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.
You may also remember that 50 point game that he had against the Utah Jazz this past season.
Worth noting: 34 of Rose’s points were scored in the second half of the Timberwolves’ 128-125 win.
Rose signed with the Detroit Pistons this offseason. Anthony Davis gets goosebumps when he recalled what it was like watching Rose in a Chicago Bulls uniform.
“Seeing him play at home when he played for the Bulls, it’s something that I’ll always remember,” AD told me.
“He’s definitely a legend in my eyes and I’m excited for him because he’s getting back to his old ways.”
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Derrick Rose’s Impressive Comeback
Before last season began, Derrick Rose was a 34-1 longshot to win the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year Award, according to FanDuel.
Although he didn’t win it, back in March, Rose was a betting favorite (-145) to win 6th Man of the Year.
Rose’s rise back to high-level NBA productivity has been inspiring. NBA free agent, Jamal Crawford told Dallas Mavericks scribe, Landon Buford that Rose is one his favorite players who are younger than him.
.@drose is one of my favorite players under my age because most of my favorite players are older than me says @JCrossover #AllEyesNorth #Bullsnation #DRose #Derrickrose
Retired NBA legend Dwyane Wade likes Rose’s evolution.
“It’s somebody that had to change his game because of injury and he came in very explosive,” Wade told me of Rose.
“He’s explosive in a different way now. He plays the game with so much smarts and his pace is incredible. He’s explosive underneath the basket just as good as he was above he still has a lot left in the tank.”
Retired NBA player, Quentin Richardson agrees. “When he’s healthy, he’s big time,” Richardson told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“And so that has been the only concern I really had with him throughout is when he’s been injured. I mean, as you know, prior to any of the injuries, I had no concerns, he had been big time throughout and that’s still my consensus.”
Rose will join a Pistons team this season that is coached by Dwayne Casey and features Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson on their roster. The Pistons lost in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Joe Johnson is also now on that squad. The NBA’s preseason schedule begins next month.
During last year’s campaign, Derrick Rose averaged 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from beyond the arc and 85.6 percent from the free-throw line.
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Lakers’ Anthony Davis Reveals Impact of Derrick Rose on His Career