"It's still unreal": Derrick Rose shows outpour of emotion as he gets one last chance at redemption in Memphis
Derrick Rose gave the city of Tennessee something to cheer about this year as the former Memphis Tigers standout is all set to suit up for the Grizzlies for the next two seasons. Now that the NBA preseason is underway, Rose is still in awe of how fate worked to bring him back to the city where he made his name.
Rose played only one year for the Memphis Tigers, and in 40 games, he was able to average 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. His team made it all the way to the NCAA finals, where they fell short to the Kansas Jayhawks led by Mario Chalmers.
In just one season, it was enough that the NBA came knocking at his door to enter the 2008 NBA draft as the first overall pick. However, Rose had to forego his next three years as a Memphis Tiger.
After 14 seasons in the NBA, Rose is back in Memphis, and even though the regular season has not begun, he felt quite nostalgic playing in front of the Grizzlies crowd.
"It's still unreal. Like it still didn't hit me yet like I’m very blessed, I’m very grateful to be here. Having this opportunity and I'm always living that gratitude so its a reason why I came back," said Rose during the post-game interview.
The former league MVP started the game against the Indiana Pacers and logged in 13 minutes of playing time. He was able to tally 13 points and two assists. The Memphis Grizzlies won 127-122, with Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the charge with 18 points, five rebounds and five blocks.
Derrick Rose came to Memphis not to babysit Ja Morant
As Ja Morant's suspension warrants a hefty 25 games, the Memphis Grizzlies stacked up on the point guard position by trading for Marcus Smart and signing Derrick Rose to fill the void.
Having to play again for the city where his college career had a brief stint, Rose signed up to set up a good culture in the locker room and cleared out that he was not with the Grizzlies to babysit.
"Look, I'm not here to babysit. I'm not here to babysit, micromanage, or anything. I'm not here to be a plant, a plant in the locker room, or any of that. I'm here to help guys win. I'm not here to steal minutes. I'm not here to steal nobody's job. I'm here to win. Once again. I'm here to show that I still have a lot left in the tank," said Rose on the Grizzlies Media Day.
Prior to coming to the Memphis locker room, Rose, at 34 years old, last played for the New York Knicks in the 2022-23 season, where he averaged 5.6 points, 1.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 27 games.