At 23 years old, Derrick Rose has racked up a lot of impressive accolades in his four years as a professional basketball player.
He's already led the Chicago Bulls to the brink of competing for its first NBA Championship since 1998 and took home an MVP award in the process. He got a max deal from Jerry Reinsdorf and almost $200 million dollars from adidas. Not bad for a kid from Englewood, one of the roughest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the city.
As of this month, Rose can add another accolade to his impressive resume: GQ cover boy.
Rose is the second Chicago Bulls player to grace the cover of Gentleman's Quarterly. The magazine featured Michael Jordan on the cover back in 1989. In the interview, Rose spoke candidly on a number of topics, some of which includes comparisons to Jordan, how he feels about the people of Chicago, his take on LeBron James's infamous "decision" and President Obama being a fan of his. Here are some excerpts:
On being compared to Michael Jordan...
“His titles drive me. What's wrong with getting close to the best person that ever played the game? I'm not scared of him; if anything, it makes me work harder when I do train.”
On the people of Chicago...
“Chicago isn't used to stardom. They still don't know how to act towards a celebrity, so I always have someone with me. I can have a hat on, glasses, whatever. People still notice me. If I go outside without a hat on, I feel like I'm naked. This lifestyle doesn't fit my personality.”
On LeBron's infamous on-air decision to go to the Heat...
“I won't ever put myself in a bad position so that people can say bad things about me. I make smart decisions. ... I'm very mature for 23 years old and I know that whatever I do can hurt someone.”
On President Obama being a fan of his...
“I remember when he wasn't our President, when I was a kid, when he'd just be walking down the street as a State Senator. He was just always there. I didn't appreciate it then. I was in high school and just wanted to see rappers.”
The May issue of GQ Magazine goes on sale nationally on April 24, and Derrick Rose can be assured that the people of Chicago and Bulls fans everywhere will pick up a copy and support the first real NBA superstar this city has seen since the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
