“The ball has to be your first girlfriend”: 2011 MVP Derrick Rose details what it takes to survive in the NBA
Upon entering the NBA, Derrick Rose instantly positioned himself as one of the league's premier talents before an ACL injury altered the trajectory of the former league MVP.
Nevertheless, Rose bounced back by altering his playing style and has become a valuable role player throughout his career.
When speaking on a recent episode of Howsito, Rose discussed his work ethic and what helped him remain at the top of his game for such a prolonged period of time:
from the OG 
)Derrick Rose on work ethic
“The ball has to be your first girlfriend… that’s the difference between the 400 players in the league and those that aren’t in the league”
Wisdom on 💯 from the OG
(Via @Howsito 🎥)
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"I just have a pure love for this sport. And, I have a relationship with this ball, that like this is my everything, that's my first girlfriend. That's what I'm telling my son, this has gotta be your first girlfriend.
That's the difference between the 400 players that's in the league and the people that's not in the league. We have a different relationship with the ball, that's different to everybody else in the world."
Rose continued:
"10,000 hours - that's what it takes to get close to get to mastering something. No b*******, I'm close to 30 or 40 [thousand hours] bro. That's facts. I've dedicated my whole life to this sport. And that's why I achieved what I achieved."
Derrick Rose recently signed a two-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies worth $6.5 million and will be a veteran presence on their bench as the team bids to challenge for an NBA championship in the coming years.
Derrick Rose is now a veteran role player
Over the past three seasons, Derrick Rose has played a deep bench role for the New York Knicks. Operating under longtime head coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose participated in 88 regular-season games for the Knicks over three seasons.
During those contests, Rose provided averages of 11.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the field and 38.0% from 3-point range.
Not many teams in the NBA can boast a former MVP as their third-string guard. Yet, Derrick Rose's athleticism and explosiveness have begun to wane at 34 years old.
As such, the Grizzlies have landed themselves an elite third guard to play behind Ja Morant (when he returns from suspension) and Marcus Smart.
Rose, along with Smart, will also provide invaluable veteran leadership to a young roster and will help instill a new level of professionalism with his new teammates.