Lakers Rookie Adou Thiero Chose Jersey Number Because Of Derrick Rose

The Los Angeles Lakers believe they have found a diamond in the rough of the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft when they selected forward Adou Thiero out of Arkansas. One of the best athletes in the entire draft, Thiero thrives on the defensive end and has tools on the offensive end that could be developed, making him a very intriguing two-way prospect.

Due to a minor injury, fans didn’t get a chance to see Thiero during Summer League, but when he does take the court for the Lakers in the preseason he will be rocking jersey No. 1. This is different than the No. 3 he wore in college and he explained why.

In a recent interview, Thiero explained that he was unable to get the No. 3 jersey so he chose to go with No. 1 because his favorite player growing up was Derrick Rose, via NBA on Prime:

“This is my first number I picked. My first favorite player was Derrick Rose. So then I tried to go with the number I was throughout college and everything. I wasn’t able to get that number so, you know, why not go back with what we started with.”

Rose will forever go down as one of the biggest “what-ifs” in the history of the NBA. The former top overall pick in 2009 was on pace to be the next big NBA star and even took home an MVP award in just his third season before injuries ruined his career. Thiero growing up watching and being inspired by him makes a lot of sense as Rose’s popularity grew astronomically.

It is a bit curious as to why Thiero couldn’t wear the No. 3 that he wore throughout college. The number is not retired by the franchise, but it was most recently worn by Anthony Davis before he was traded away in the Luka Doncic trade, so perhaps some on the team would prefer for that number not to be worn by another player. Davis getting the number retired by the franchise after his playing days is certainly not out of the question.

Nonetheless, the most important thing for Thiero will be getting out on the court and proving he can make an impact for this Lakers team as quickly as possible as he has some tools that could really help.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic expects to develop as a leader during preseason

One good thing for Adou Thiero is he has some great veterans on the Lakers to learn from. Obviously LeBron James remains a leader on this team, but Luka Doncic is growing into that leadership role as well and believes he will continue to develop in that facet once the team gets together in training camp and during the preseason.