It’s no secret that Derrick Rose is loyal to Chicago and cares very much for his city. He understands that he’s (like it or not) a role model to kids and the primary reason for the resurgence of the Bulls in terms of popularity locally, and around the NBA.
Crime continues to be a problem in Chicago, and the incidences of violence in the streets continue to receive nationwide attention. Rose knows this all too well growing up in Englewood, but the basketball star thinks he’s found a way to help curb crime in the Windy City – however brief – with his play on the court, a la the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan.
“It’s kind of like a second coming where the city is starting to get that buzz back again like when MJ was playing. Everybody’s coming to the games and everybody’s tuning in,” Rose said in an interview with sneaker website Nice Kicks. “The only thing to change now is that when Mike was playing there wasn’t any crime. Whenever the Bulls came on, crime went down probably 50 to 60 percent. I’m just trying to get that status so that whenever the Bulls come on there’s no crime, everybody’s in a positive mindset and train of thought, just tuned in to what we’re doing.”
We don’t know how accurate those crime stats are, but when Michael Jordan was in his heyday, it seemed that nearly everyone in Chicago was in front of TV watching him play. And after a season long layoff, if Derrick Rose can lead the Bulls back to the top of the NBA – even the Finals – then everyone in Chicago will find a TV and be tuned in to watch him, too.
