It was the 10th anniversary of Derrick Rose becoming the youngest MVP in league history. And he celebrated Monday by going vintage.
The 32-year-old dropped a season-high 25 points, including three clutch buckets in the final three-plus minutes of a 118-104 victory over the Grizzlies. He wrapped up his night with an understatement in the press conference.
“I’m just happy to still be here and playing decent basketball,” the point guard said.
The Knicks (37-28), winners of 12 of their last 13, clinched their first winning season since 2013. They led throughout the night but reached a critical moment after the Grizzlies cut the deficit to 5 with about six minutes left. Julius Randle (28 points) responded with a 3-pointer, and Rose took New York home.
Rose has now scored at least 19 points in five of the last seven games.
“That’s the great value in him, whether he was the MVP of the league at 22 or 10 years later, he’s the same guy,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who also coached Rose during his MVP season with the Bulls.
“He’s always been a team-first guy and winning’s always at the forefront, he’s always been a great teammate. He’s happy when other people have success. He’s most happy when the team wins. And whether he scores two points or he scores 20 points, he’s the same guy. And he’s doing it a lot of different ways, I think, I have mentioned this many times when we look at his net rating per 48 when he’s on the floor, what he’s done with us is pretty remarkable. So he adds a lot of value to winning.”
Rose shot 11 of 15 from the field in 26 minutes, utterly outplaying Grizzlies star Ja Morant (8 points, 2-for-13 shooting). Morant not only produced a dud, he was ejected with one minute left for arguing calls.
The Knicks were shorthanded at center with starter Nerlens Noel sitting because of a sprained ankle. He joined the first starting center Mitchell Robinson (broken foot) on the inactive list, and the squeeze was exacerbated by foul trouble to Monday’s starter, Taj Gibson. It prompted Norvel Pelle into action as Thibodeau again resisted going small.
But like most potential concerns during this Knicks hot stretch, it was never really a problem in Memphis. Gibson filled in well and grabbed 12 boards in 33 minutes. Pelle rejected three shots in 15 minutes. The Knicks pounded Memphis and swept the season series.
The Grizzlies (32-32) are decent but New York’s opposition level turns up a notch with the Nuggets, Suns, Clippers, Lakers and Spurs all next on the schedule, in that order. But they’re playing as well as anybody in the NBA.
Alec Burks returned Monday a two-week, eight-game absence because of COVID protocols. He didn’t skip a beat with nine points in 16 minutes, but his night was cut short by a leg injury. It didn’t appear serious.
His presence cut into the time of starter Elfrid Payton, who had 10 points in 18 minutes. Rose certainly wasn’t affected, however. He turned back the clock.
WITH THE REUNION OF DERRICK ROSE, THENEW YORK KNICKS beat Grizzlies to secure first winning season in nearly a decade
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KNICKS WIN THREE STRAIGHT
FIRST WINNING SEASON IN 8 YEARS
THIBS IS HAPPY pic.twitter.com/PzntOeJhuj
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 4, 2021
Regardless of what happens from here on out, this has been an incredible turnaround for the Knicks, who had only won 38 games in the past two seasons combined. Even coach Tom Thibodeau had to exchange his gruff demeanor for a celebration after this win, and when you’ve got him smiling and hugging people on the court, you know things are going well.
Derrick Rose
.jpg) Rose with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2019
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| No. 4 – New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 4, 1988 Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | Memphis (2007–2008) |
| NBA draft | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Playing career | 2008–present |
| Career history | |
| 2008–2016 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2016–2017 | New York Knicks |
| 2017–2018 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2018–2019 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2019–2021 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2021–present | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the Memphis Tigers before being drafted first overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA draft.[1] He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and also became the youngest player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2011 at age 22.
Rose was born and raised in Chicago, and attended Simeon Career Academy. He was highly recruited by colleges, eventually choosing to join the University of Memphis under coach John Calipari. Rose led the Tigers to the most wins in NCAA history (a 38–2 record), their first number 1 ranking in 25 years, and an appearance in the NCAA championship game.
National team career
Rose was a member of the United States men’s national basketball teams that won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Player profile
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and weighing 200 pounds (91 kg), Rose plays mostly at the point guard position. He averages 18.8 points per game for his career. He has never been a knock-down shooter from the arc, shooting 30 percent for his career. He developed into a bank-shot shooter during the 2015–16 season after struggling with his jump shot due to what he attributes to depth perception issues following eye surgery in 2015.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Chicago | 81 | 80 | 37.0 | .475 | .222 | .788 | 3.9 | 6.3 | .8 | .2 | 16.8 |
| 2009–10 | Chicago | 78 | 78 | 36.8 | .489 | .267 | .766 | 3.8 | 6.0 | .7 | .3 | 20.8 |
| 2010–11 | Chicago | 81 | 81 | 37.4 | .445 | .332 | .858 | 4.1 | 7.7 | 1.0 | .6 | 25.0 |
| 2011–12 | Chicago | 39 | 39 | 35.3 | .435 | .312 | .812 | 3.4 | 7.9 | .9 | .7 | 21.8 |
| 2013–14 | Chicago | 10 | 10 | 31.1 | .354 | .340 | .844 | 3.2 | 4.3 | .5 | .1 | 15.9 |
| 2014–15 | Chicago | 51 | 51 | 30.0 | .405 | .280 | .813 | 3.2 | 4.9 | .7 | .3 | 17.7 |
| 2015–16 | Chicago | 66 | 66 | 31.8 | .427 | .293 | .793 | 3.4 | 4.7 | .7 | .2 | 16.4 |
| 2016–17 | New York | 64 | 64 | 32.5 | .471 | .217 | .874 | 3.8 | 4.4 | .7 | .3 | 18.0 |
| 2017–18 | Cleveland | 16 | 7 | 19.3 | .439 | .250 | .854 | 1.8 | 1.6 | .2 | .3 | 9.8 |
| 2017–18 | Minnesota | 9 | 0 | 12.4 | .426 | .167 | 1.000 | .7 | 1.2 | .4 | .0 | 5.8 |
| 2018–19 | Minnesota | 51 | 13 | 27.3 | .482 | .370 | .856 | 2.7 | 4.3 | .6 | .2 | 18.0 |
| 2019–20 | Detroit | 50 | 15 | 26.0 | .490 | .306 | .871 | 2.4 | 5.6 | .8 | .3 | 18.1 |
| 2020–21 | Detroit | 15 | 0 | 22.8 | .429 | .333 | .840 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .3 | 14.2 |
| Career | 611 | 504 | 32.3 | .456 | .305 | .827 | 3.4 | 5.6 | .8 | .3 | 18.7 | |
| All-Star | 3 | 2 | 21.0 | .517 | .667 | .500 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 1.3 | .0 | 11.0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Chicago | 7 | 7 | 44.7 | .492 | .000 | .800 | 6.3 | 6.4 | .6 | .7 | 19.7 |
| 2010 | Chicago | 5 | 5 | 42.4 | .456 | .333 | .818 | 3.4 | 7.2 | .8 | .0 | 26.8 |
| 2011 | Chicago | 16 | 16 | 40.6 | .396 | .248 | .828 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 1.4 | .7 | 27.1 |
| 2012 | Chicago | 1 | 1 | 37.0 | .391 | .500 | 1.000 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 23.0 |
| 2015 | Chicago | 12 | 12 | 37.8 | .396 | .348 | .897 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 1.2 | .5 | 20.3 |
| 2018 | Minnesota | 5 | 0 | 23.8 | .509 | .700 | .857 | 1.8 | 2.6 | .4 | .0 | 14.2 |
| Career | 46 | 41 | 38.8 | .423 | .311 | .838 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 1.0 | .5 | 22.7 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Memphis | 40 | 40 | 29.2 | .477 | .337 | .712 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 1.2 | .4 | 14.9 |
Accomplishments and awards
NBA
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2011
- NBA All-Star Selection: 2010, 2011, 2012
- All-NBA First Team: 2011
- NBA Rookie of the Year: 2009
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2009
- Skills Challenge Champion: 2009
- Conference Rookie of the Month: November, December, March
- Conference Player of the Month: April 2010, March 2011
College
- Freshman year (2007–08)
- NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team
- NCAA Tournament South Region MVP
- NABC 3rd Team All-American
- NABC All-District 7 First Team
- All-Conference USA First Team
- Conference USA Freshman of the Year
- Conference USA All Freshman Team 1st Team
- Sporting News All-Freshman Team
- Conference USA Player of the Week for games between December 17 through the 23rd
- 2K Sports College Hoops Classic MVP
- 2K Sports College Hoops Classic All-Tournament Team
High school
- Senior year (2006–07)
- Class AA State Championship
- Class AA Tournament MVP
- Illinois Mr. Basketball 2007
- 2007 McDonald’s All-American
- USA Today 2007 All-USA First Team
- 2007 First-team Parade All-American
- EA Sports 2007 All-American First Team
- All State Illinois 2007
- MaxPreps.com All-America First Team
- Slam Magazine 2007 First Team
- MidStateHoops.com 2007 Class AA Player of the Year
- Junior year (2005–06)
- Class AA State Championship
- Class AA Tournament MVP
- 2006 Parade All-American Fourth Team
- All State Illinois 2006
- EA Sports 2006 All-American Second Team
- Sophomore year (2004–05)
- 2005 Parade All-American Third Team
- Chicago Sun-Times All-Area
Personal life
On October 9, 2012, Rose’s girlfriend, Mieka Reese, gave birth to their son, Derrick Jr.
Rose’s agent is former Bulls guard B. J. Armstrong.
Rose is a Christian and has spoken about his faith, saying “God does everything for a reason”. He wears a wristband that says “In Jesus‘ Name I Play” and has several tattoos about his faith.
In 2018, Rose introduced The Rose Scholars, a scholarship program to help students achieve a higher education.
Endorsements
Rose was the cover athlete of NBA 2K13 alongside fellow NBA players Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin.[171]
Rose was the lone cover athlete for the 2K Sports Downloadable Content game, NBA 2K10 Draft Combine, which was released on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3.
Rose is a part-owner and spokesman for the Chicago-based Giordano’s Pizzeria.
In 2008, Rose signed a shoe deal with Adidas for $1 million per year. He has also signed with Wilson Sporting Goods.[176] Other endorsement deals include Skullcandy headphones, Powerade, Force Factor sports drinks and a suburban Chicago Nissan dealership. In May 2018, it was announced that the Adidas D Rose 9’s would be released in July 2018.
In 2011, Rose was estimated by Crain’s Chicago Business to earn $1.5–$2.5 million annually in endorsements, ranking just outside the top 10 NBA players in that category. In 2012, it was reported that Rose signed a contract extension with Adidas, worth $185 million over 14 years.
