Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP, has embraced his role as a veteran presence on the New York Knicks team, despite his limited playing time. Rose, who was once a superstar player, has overcome many injuries and is now one game shy of playing 700 regular-season games. He has averaged 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for the Knicks this season. While Rose rarely plays, he has a big brother role with the Knicks, similar to Udonis Haslem with the Miami Heat, and says he will be ready whenever he is called to action.
Rose’s NBA future is uncertain, but he isn’t ready to be reflective on his up-and-down career. The Knicks have a club option on Rose for $15.5 million next season with a June 24 decision deadline. The Knicks respect Rose’s professionalism and are confident he can play at a productive level, but considering he is seldom used, it appears doubtful that the Knicks would pick up that option, an NBA source said.
Off the court, Rose has been involved in several philanthropic projects, including paying for funerals for gun violence victims in Chicago, donating $1 million to After School Matters, a Chicago-based nonprofit that arranges out-of-school apprenticeships for teens, and sponsoring a four-day trip to Senegal last summer for 14 kids from Simeon High School in Chicago. Rose is also a chess aficionado and is launching and hosting the inaugural « Chesstival » chess tournament and festival at Resorts World Las Vegas that will debut July 7-8.
Despite his limited playing time, Rose’s contributions to the Knicks team and his philanthropic work off the court make him a Hall of Fame guy, according to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. Rose’s humility and dedication to his team and community are qualities that make him a valuable asset to any organization.
Keywords: Derrick Rose, NBA, New York Knicks, veteran presence, playing time, philanthropy, Chesstival.
