Derrick Rose Interview 🌹 Former MVP on his Past, Present & Future
It was in mid-November when the SLAM crew flew into Chicago for the main photo shoot of this special issue. There, at Simeon Career Academy, we shot the cover of this magazine with Derrick Rose, as well as other solo shots in different looks, which you’ll find sprinkled throughout these pages. But what had initially started as just planning for a D Rose shoot in the weeks leading up to that day became a much bigger operation thanks to Rose’s vision and commitment to his community.
He asked that the current players at Simeon, his alma mater, be included in the shoot. And
not just the varsity squad—freshman and JV, too. And, so, after we finished solo shots with Rose, about 40-ish teenagers arrived to join the Bulls legend in a media day-type set up that included photo and video stations. Except, when they first arrived, they had no idea what they were about to partake in.
Looking to surprise the kids, Rose’s team and Simeon varsity head coach Tim Flowers, who was Rose’s teammate and starting center when both played for the Wolverines in the mid 2000s, decided not to tell the players in advance why they were being asked to come down to the school on a Saturday afternoon. After Rose was done with his solo shots, he walked up to a classroom where the players had been asked to gather and surprised them with a visit. Rose made sure to go around the room and individually dap up every single player before stopping at the center of the classroom and delivering an impromptu, off-the-dome speech. A raw and candid talk with them about life, mistakes, obstacles and the challenges that they’re facing in the South Side of Chicago, all of which he could relate to.
All of this to say, Rose’s post-playing career is primed to make an even bigger impact in the world than the one wearing a basketball jersey ever did. Or at least that’s definitely the goal, as you’ll read below. This chapter of Rose’s life is about stepping out of the comfort zone and entering industries and sectors that once didn’t even seem likely or a match for him. And, so, we thought it was only right that we delivered our interview with the superstar to the world unfiltered, in Q&A format, for everyone to take in directly from Rose, as he looked back at his historic career while also looking ahead into the future.
https://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/exclusive-derrick-rose-interview-🌹-former-mvp-on-his-past-present-future/