Derrick Rose has found himself becoming a role player in his last few seasons in the NBA. It's easy to forget that Rose was once MVP of the league, a player touted to become one of the greatest ever. His stint with the Chicago Bulls was epic, and young DRose was as exciting a talent as the league had seen since LeBron James.
It all changed due to injuries though, Rose lost his explosive abilities, and the level of his play fell sharply. He was never the same after his ACL injury, bouncing around quite a few franchises before enjoying something of a resurgence with the Knicks in 2020-21. And this could have bothered a lot of players, going from the very top to the very bottom.
But if there's one aspect of it that Rose probably doesn't miss too much, it's the loss of constant attention. The former MVP was never fond of fame, something he stated during an interview with Andscape in 2017.
“I picked the profession I’m in, so there’s no way I could whine about it. And I’m blessed enough to be in this position.. [but] I hate fame. It’s just not who I am.”
Rose had spoken about this in 2012 as well, at the height of his popularity, in an interview with GQ magazine, talking about how hard it is to be normal when you're a celebrity.
“It’s just boundaries now. People are like, ‘You can’t go here, you can’t go there, you got to let that person know where you’re going.’ It’s just weird. I’m never alone. Ever.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t take anything for granted. But it seems like the better I play, the more attention I get. And I can’t get away from it. You play great, you get attention. But I hate attention. It is weird. I’m in a bind. The more you win, the more they come.”
He is certainly not the first person to say this, but it is undoubtedly a very interesting take. Rose has seen fame from all angles, as the it-man when he was coming up and as the forgotten man after his fall from grace. And while life may have gotten quieter for him, it would do well for NBA fans to not forget exactly how good a young Derrick Rose was to watch on the court.
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