His career has turned into one of the most riveting roller coaster rides in NBA history. Derrick Rose has had some of the highest highs during his time in the NBA, such as winning an MVP award and being one of the most exciting players in the game. He has also had to contend with some terrible breaks, such as a knee injury that stopped his career from truly taking off. Rose is currently 33 years old, and is making his way back from an ankle injury that has kept him out for over two months for the New York Knicks. It will be interesting to see what type of role he has upon his return to the team, with the Knicks fading fast in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Derrick Rose – Early Life
Derrick Martell Rose was born on October 4th, 1988 in Chicago. It is somewhat ironic that he grew up in the same city where he would eventually take the league by storm, but his childhood was extremely challenging. He was raised by his mother and grandmother, with his brothers Allan, Dwayne, and Reggie also playing critical roles in Derrick’s development. Reggie Rose took an active responsibility in ensuring that Derrick would have the best opportunity to make it out of Englewood, which was the tough part of town the family resided in. Even when his brother came a star in the NBA, Reggie would be closely involved with business dealings involving his brother.
There were many times when Derrick Rose could have been discouraged by his environment, and made decisions that would’ve greatly altered the trajectory of his life. Other big-time basketball prospects from the same part of the city were shot before they could ever achieve greatness. His family was very poor, and Rose would not have traditional meals available to him. He once revealed that he ate nothing but powdered sugar on certain days while he would watch TV. Rose also recalled that in a five-bedroom house, there were often 13 people living there, some of whom resorted to drugs as a way of life.
By the time he was in middle school, it became clear that Rose had a special talent for the game of basketball. He was running circles around his peers and starting to dunk when he was in the eighth grade. With the level of explosive athleticism he displayed, he started to garner attention but wanted to stay out of the limelight heading into high school.
Derrick Rose – High School
He attended Simeon Career Academy and might have been the best basketball player in the school from the moment he stepped foot in the building. However, Rose would not be afforded the immediate opportunity to star on the varsity team. The coach at the time had a rule that freshmen could not play on the varsity level, perhaps as a means to have them earn their spot. However, because Rose was so good so quickly, coach Bob Hambric offered Rose the chance to appear for them in the state tournament. The humble freshman declined, citing that he wanted the players who played for the varsity all season to receive the full credit they deserved.
However, Rose would not waste his opportunity with the varsity for the remainder of his time at Simeon. Motivating him to take advantage of this chance was his decision to wear number 25, which belonged to former Simeon hoops alum Ben Wilson. He was ranked as the top basketball player in the country in 1984 but was shot before his senior year. It served as a reminder that each game and every day was precious, and Rose played that way.
The budding star averaged just under 20 points per game, over five rebounds per game, over eight assists per game, and over two steals a contest in his sophomore season. It was a superb showing, but Rose was only getting started. In his junior year, he led the team to a thrilling state championship victory. The game was played at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, and Rose made the game-winning basket on the same court where some of his idols made their name.
With the pressure and the attention focused squarely on him, Rose did not let the bright lights get in the way of delivering another brilliant campaign to close his high school career. The Wolverines managed to defend their Illinois state title in his senior season. Despite a low-scoring game, Rose managed to fill the stat sheet in other ways, which helped his team secure the victory.
While Rose made enough plays in Chicago and the state of Illinois to last a lifetime, his pre-collegiate career also featured many duals with some future NBA stars. He played against Kemba Walker in Madison Square Garden, and had a tremendous defensive performance against future lottery pick Brandon Jennings as well. He was also part of an AAU team that was created by his brother Reggie and featured future NBA sharpshooter Eric Gordon. During the summer, Gordon and Rose would lead the MeanStreets Express team against the likes of O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, and others. This level of competition would only serve him well in his basketball journey.
Derrick Rose – College
Rose was the fifth-ranked prospect coming out of high school according to ESPN.com’s 2007 prospect rankings. As one might imagine, he had some traditional NCAA powerhouses on his list as potential college choices. North Carolina, Kansas, and UCLA were considered, but he also had local schools like DePaul and Illinois as possibilities as well. However, Rose was very impressed by the approach Memphis Tigers head coach John Calipari took to recruit him.
Many coaches were not willing to visit Rose at his home due to the reputation of the neighborhood. Calipari, however, was willing to sit on Rose’s couch and explain to him why Memphis would be a great place for him to play. That level of connection went a long way toward Rose deciding that he would play for the Tigers.
Rose played in 40 games for Memphis and was magnificent during his one season in college. He averaged just under 15 points per game while bringing a relentless approach to attacking the basket and collapsing the defense. Calipari gave his freshman point guard the liberty to penetrate as he saw fit, and trusted that he would make the right decision. On the heels of a highly successful drive and kick style of play, Rose led Memphis all the way to the national championship game. To get there, the Tigers defeated a loaded UCLA squad, who featured players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Darren Collison, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.
Unfortunately, Rose and the Tigers came up just a bit short against the University of Kansas in the title game. Mario Chalmers hit one of the most memorable shots in NCAA history to force overtime, and the Jayhawks sealed the deal in extra time. However, Rose nearly took a mid-major to the height of the sport, and his NBA draft stock was sizzling as a result.
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Since Michael Jordan left the Bulls after the 1998 season, the franchise had been searching for someone to lead them into the next golden era. No one would ever replace Michael Jordan as the greatest player in franchise history, but having a young cornerstone to build around for a decade or so was badly needed in Chicago. They had the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and they decided to bring the local kid home.
In his rookie season, Rose was everything the Bulls hoped he could be, and much more. Rose’s debut came against the Milwaukee Bucks, and it was the start of a fantastic year. He averaged over 16 points per game and brought an electric feel to the United Center each night. He played in 81 out of a possible 82 games that season and his consistently great player allowed him to take home the NBA Rookie of The Year award. Rose won the honor in a landslide, soundly beating out O.J. Mayo and Brook Lopez in the voting.
The former Simeon Academy star brought more of the same sensational play in his second season with the Bulls, but perhaps the best year of his career came in his third year in the league. Rose averaged a career-high 25 points per game with seven rebounds a night and got to the free-throw line at the highest clip in his NBA career. At just 22 years old, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2010-2011 season, becoming the youngest MVP in league history.
It was a magical campaign for Chicago as a team as well, as they had the best record in the NBA at season’s end, with a mark of 62-20. In the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls ousted the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks but fell in the conference finals to the Miami Heat. While Chicago did not make the fourth round(aka the NBA Finals), they had a lot to be hopeful about in future years.
However, the promise around the franchise quickly disappeared, as its star player would be set back by injuries the following year. During the regular season, Rose only appeared in 39 games, missing contests due to foot, ankle, toe, and groin injuries. It was a difficult campaign, but the Bulls still had high hopes heading into the 2012 postseason. Unfortunately, in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose suffered a serious knee injury, tearing the ACL in his right knee. While Rose would still go on to have productive seasons in Chicago, he was never quite the same player after that injury.
His most memorable highlight after the knee surgery was his buzzer-beater against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 playoffs. With Chicago’s window for contention seemingly closed, the team traded him to the New York Knicks in the 2016 offseason(more on that later). However, his departure signaled the end of an era for the Chicago Bulls.
Derrick Rose – Cleveland Cavaliers
After one season with the Knicks, Rose signed with the Cavaliers. It was an interesting place for him to land. He spent years trying to get past LeBron James in the Eastern Conference, and now he would be joining forces with him. However, the marriage did not last long, as Rose only played in 16 games in the first half of the 2017-2018 season in Cleveland, and was traded in February to the Utah Jazz, who would subsequently waive him.
Derrick Rose – Minnesota Timberwolves
The direction of a potential Hall of Fame career was seriously derailed, but Rose was able to link up with an old friend to revitalize his NBA reputation. Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was the head man in Minnesota and gave Rose the new opportunity he needed. He only appeared in nine games for the Timberwolves in the remainder of the 2016-2017 season but showed flashes of his old form the following year. This included a remarkable 50 point performance early in the campaign against the Utah Jazz. He seemed to find his footing again, and while not the star he once was, returned to a viable scoring guard.
Derrick Rose – Detroit Pistons
The next stop for Rose would be in Detroit, where he would serve as a veteran mentor on a rebuilding Pistons franchise. The scoring punch he displayed in Minnesota was present in the Motor City as well, showing that he could still be effective in a reserve role.
Derrick Rose – New York Knicks
After his time in Chicago came to an end, Rose landed with the Knicks for one year in 2016-2017. Statistically, he was not too much different than the player he was in the last couple of Chicago years. However, he and the team were faced with high expectations that they failed to meet, so it was not an easy campaign for Rose.
However, as it turned out, he would return to the Big Apple in the 2020-2021 season, as old friend Tom Thibodeau traded for him, who was now coaching in New York. Rose’s presence made a huge impact on the team, as he provided a critical spark off the bench. The Knicks qualified for the Eastern Conference playoffs as the four seed, and would not have done so without Rose’s contributions.
Why is Derrick Rose not good anymore?
Once again, Rose has had injuries derail his good fortune. He has only played in 26 games for the Knicks this season and is still making his way back from an ankle injury. Given his connection with Thibodeau, it is likely Rose will still find a place in the rotation. But if the Knicks are well out of contention for a postseason berth, it will be interesting to see whether the team gives more minutes to its young players. Regardless, Rose has proven time and time again that it is foolish to count him out, and may still have a few productive seasons left.
Is Derrick Rose better than Michael Jordan?
No. While Derrick Rose is a great player, no one still comes close to Michael Jordan.
