Derrick Rose went from a promising rookie to a league MVP in three years. This type of improvement doesn't happen by accident. According to D-Rose, his unlikely ascent had Kobe Bryant 's influence written all over it.
"My first three years, I didn't go to parties. I didn't go out to eat. I didn't go to concerts," the 2011 MVP said on the "My Expert Opinion" podcast in 2022. "I ain't do none of that s*** because I'm thinking, 'Kobe is not doing it, and he's not showing nobody his workouts.' Like separating himself from people. And that intimidation, play against him, is in the air."
"When he catch the ball, you got 20,000 people in the arena, like, 'You about to get f****d up. What move he going to hit you with?' That led to me doing something that's in the record books. Winning the MVP," added Rose.
If that sounds extreme, that's because it is. Nevertheless, the Chicago native's dedication paid off. He became the youngest MVP in league history after leading the Chicago Bulls to a league-leading 62-20 record in 2010-11. Rose averaged 25 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists on .445/.332/.858 shooting splits that season.
D-Rose sought Kobe's approval
To be great, one had to be psychopathic about getting things done. For Rose, it was all about knowing as much as he could about the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, and he said he took steps in his career that steered him in that direction.
"I signed with Arn Tellem at the time because that was Kobe's first agent. I'm asking him everything about Kobe," added the Memphis alum. "I wanted to see if he's seen that I've been working on my shooting. He noticed it. Like, 'Damn, you've been working on your shooting?' I'm like, 'Oh, shit. Kobe noticed that.'"
Rose's path to greatness was ground to a screeching halt by injuries. He suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the middle of the 2011-12 season and was never the same again. The 2008 first-overall pick announced his retirement earlier this week, closing the curtain on a 16-season career.
Related: "What? I am the organization!" - When former Bulls' forward refused to carry Michael Jordan's bags as a rookie
"Chain Reaction"
Taking inspiration from others before them is a natural progression for NBA players and athletes in general. Bryant called this a "chain reaction." The Black Mamba used this concept to prove the folly of the GOAT debate , but how Rose looked up to Bryant is a prime example of this domino effect.
"Here's the thing, though. MJ is doing what he learned from David Thompson and Jerry [West] and those guys. Stuff that I've done, I've learned from MJ. Stuff that Bron does, he learned from me in playing in the Olympic team and the work ethic and all that stuff. It's a chain thing, man," the 2008 MVP explained . "I know people want to talk about who's this, who's that because it fills up good conversation time or downtime or whatever the case may be. But for us as athletes, it's really a chain reaction. You can't have one without the other. It's just not possible."
Rose may be done playing for good, but his spirit is alive and well in the younger generation. It's in Ja Morant's every explosive leap or every young player doing a smooth finish at the rim. Just like Kobe before him, Rose added another link to the chain and hopefully will spark the next generation's fire.
Related: James Johnson recalls when Kobe was in awe of D-Rose: "Bean looked at him like, 'You a bad MF'"
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