DPOY teammate bats for Derrick Rose's Hall of Fame inclusion amid talks of getting a statue in Chicago
It's been a long while since the Chicago Bulls were a legitimate NBA championship contender. Even though they've made the playoffs, they don't seem to have what it takes to go the distance.
That wasn't the case when Derrick Rose was in town. For the first time since the Michael Jordan era, the Bulls had an icon and a player who could make them dream of a championship again.
That's why, when asked whether he deserves a statue now that he's retired, his former teammate Joakim Noah couldn't agree more:
"100%," Noah said on "Run It Back," adding, "As great as Pooh (Rose) was as a player, to me, I think he's an even better human. You know, the most humble superstar out there, and just the way he represented Chicago every time he stepped out there was unreal."
Derrick Rose looks back on the "Rose Rule"
Rose wasn't able to win a championship, but his impact on the court went way beyond the rings or the accolades.
He became the youngest MVP in NBA history, and as such, he helped set a new precedent for young players to get a significant bump in their salary during their first contracts.
The "Derrick Rose Rule" was included in the league's collective bargaining agreement, allowing young players who, like him, outperformed their rookie contracts to get more money.
In a Dec. 15 interview with Basketball Network, the former No. 1 pick opened up on that legacy:
“You help a lot of people get paid with the Rose Rule, pioneer, my boy.”
“You look at it, and now look at everybody else who is benefiting from you. That’s the only thing I care about. Even the wave or the vibration I’m in right now, I call it D-720. D stands for don’t forget about the zealous youth and zealous mean pursuit of a great cause or a great energy,” Rose added.
The rule allows young players to earn up to 30% of the salary cap if they reach specific benchmarks during their rookie deals, such as winning MVP, making two All-NBA teams, or winning Defensive Player of the Year. To Rose, it was a testament to hard work and an incentive to stay focused:
“I’m not going to clubs, I’m not going to dinners, I’m not doing your typical sh*t because I’m thinking that you have to be a machine. I didn’t enjoy any of that until like my fourth year, so that rule was not only for me; it’s for everybody.”
Rose went down as one of the biggest 'what ifs' in NBA history. But even if injuries derailed his career, young players should always be thankful for him.