“I love Kobe Bryant so much”: Derrick Rose reveals the relationship he shared with the Lakers legend and how they got along
Former league MVP Derrick Rose shot a funny commercial in 2009 with Kobe Bryant, who was the Finals MVP during the time.
The late Kobe Bryant was one of the best players ever to play the sport of basketball. The Black Mamba inspired millions across the globe with his work ethic and passion for the game.
Some of the best talents in the current generation have even been mentored by the Lakers legend. These include the likes of Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, and Jason Tatum.
One such player who looked up to Kobe is Derrick Rose. The former rookie of the year even shot an NBA 2k commercial with the 5x NBA champion.
In September 2019, Rose revealed a hilarious incident that took place during the commercial shoot. Kobe would show up 3 hours late for the shoot. Rose would go on to reveal how Kobe made him pay his dues as a young player in the NBA.
“We were having a commercial shoot and it was in like Malibu somewhere and he showed up like three hours late and I’m like, ‘C’mon man.’ But I understood where he was coming from. He made me pay my dues. I waited for three hours for him.”
Kobe was the cover athlete of the 2K and was coming off winning his 4th championship, which was his first without Shaquille O Neal.
Throwback to the Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose NBA 2K10 Commercial pic.twitter.com/ouHn6OrbRo
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 19, 2018
One of the funniest scenes between Kobe and Rose during that commercial was an instance when both guys were going back and forth about who had the better player in the game. Kobe said his guy had four rings, and Rose started laughing, saying he couldn’t respond since he didn’t have any titles under his belt.
The bond that Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose shared
The tragic death of the Lakers legend shook the entire sporting world. That lead to an outpour of tributes, with millions across the globe paying homage to the superstar.
The death of Kobe continues to impact Rose, who recently released an autobiography called I’ll Show You. Rose mentioned the late Lakers legend in the book as well.
2010-11 MVP wrote:
“You can’t know what it was like, going through everything I had to get through with my injuries, my game, my life,” Rose wrote. “I won’t be the last Derrick Rose. But as long as I tell my story and I’m honest about it, I hope it’s going to touch a lot of people.”
“That’s why I love Kobe so much. His death, man, that’s something that’s always going to hurt … It’s a weird feeling, ‘Oh s—, Kobe’s not here. Damn.’ I never tried to copy his moves, but just his grind and his evolution as a player. That’s what drove me.”
Rose had one of the most tragic journeys in the NBA, from being the league MVP to suffering a series of injuries that robbed him of his prime. Rose had been through it all.
D-rose took inspiration from Kobe and changed his game as his athleticism declined with time. Something similar to what the Black Mamba did.
D-rose has reinvented himself with the years gone by. Right from accepting the role of a bench player to chipping in during the important phases of a game.
Rose’s performance as Knick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs was nothing short of impressive. D-rose shot 47.6% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc during the series.
Focusing on his jump shots and using his experience in the league as a weapon against the opponents. That is something Kobe would also do at the fag end of his career.
autobiography called “I’ll Show You,” Rose talked about how Bryant no longer being with us is something he may never get over. The youngest MVP in NBA history, who has undergone four knee surgeries since 2012, has been using the Lakers icon as an example of how you can adapt your game as you get older and still be effective.
“You can’t know what it was like, going through everything I had to get through with my injuries, my game, my life. I won’t be the last Derrick Rose. But as long as I tell my story and I’m honest about it, I hope it’s going to touch a lot of people.
“That’s why I love Kobe so much. His death, man, that’s something that’s always going to hurt … It’s a weird feeling, ‘Oh s***, Kobe’s not here. Damn.’ I never tried to copy his moves, but just his grind and his evolution as a player. That’s what drove me.”
Kobe Bryant was this generation’s Michael Jordan. His tragic passing is something many players in the NBA may never come to grips with.
With Los Angeles, Bryant won five championships and two Finals MVPs. As his career went along and he no longer was the most athletic player in the league, Bryant’s game evolved and he still was able to dominate his opponents.
That’s something Rose really appreciated since he’s seen his athleticism decline following his injuries. The former Chicago Bulls superstar has changed his game as the Lakers great did and it’s helping him stay in the league and play at a high level.
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. 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. In 2009, an NCAA investigation revealed that Rose’s SAT scores had been invalidated, and as a result, the NCAA vacated Memphis’ entire 2007–08 season.
Rose has struggled with significant knee injuries since his 2010–11 MVP campaign. In the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose required surgery and was subsequently sidelined for the entire 2012–13 season.[3] Rose returned to play in 2013–14, but during a regular season game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 22, 2013, Rose injured his right meniscus which caused him to miss the remainder of the season. He returned once again the following season, but knee injuries continued to impact his availability and his production. In June 2016, he was traded to the New York Knicks, where he finished the final year of his contract. He signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a minimum salary for the 2017–18 NBA season but was hobbled by ankle injuries, which led to him being traded and subsequently waived by the Utah Jazz in February 2018. He signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves a month later on a rest-of-season contract; he stayed with the team through the following season and enjoyed a career renaissance as a sixth man off the bench despite missing 31 games due to injury management. For the 2019–20 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons signed him to his first non-minimum salary contract since 2012, and he continued to be successful off the bench. The following season, he was reunited with his former coach Tom Thibodeau when the New York Knicks acquired him in a trade.
Awards and accomplishments
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
