Derrick Rose

Recent Q & A

Question:

What was it like being part of the Team USA camp in Vegas?

Answer:

It was great. It was an honor to be invited, and I hope I made a good impression. Just to be there and play with so many great players was a good learning experience and a lot of fun for me. I can't wait for future opportunities with Team USA!

Question:

Are you there all the time and on all the 4 days of the camp?

Answer:

Yes! I'll be there throughout the camp meeting everyone and teaching all the campers.

Question:

What are you most looking forward to about all-star weekend?

Answer:

Just being with the fans. Being with my family. And just having fun, that's what the whole experience is about. Just having fun down there and learning some leadership skills while I'm down there with those great players.

Question:

How does it feel to be an all-star?

Answer:

I really can't describe it right now. It really hasn't hit me. Hopefully, when I get down to Dallas that's when it will really hit me, I know. I really didn't know there wasn't an All-Star for the Bulls since Mike in '98 or something like that, so just thinking about that it's amazing.

Question:

at the moment, are you a bigger Memphis fan or Kentucky fan?

Answer:

Memphis. I'll always be a Memphis fan. But my coach [John Calipari] is in Kentucky, so I'm their fan too, but I'm definitely a Memphis fan.

Bucks 4 Buckets

Power Balance - Bucks for Buckets

Updates

Sun, Feb 15th 2009, 10:33

Derrick claims Skills Contest title

Forget the Skills Challenge championship Derrick Rose won in relatively easy fashion Saturday night. Anybody ready for the dunk contest?

“No, no, no,” said Rose, who punctuated his first-place finish with a double-pump reverse dunk. “I told you I can jump high, but I’m not creative at all.”

Just crafty. The Bulls rookie guard blew away the field of New Jersey’s Devin Harris, Cleveland’s Mo Williams and San Antonio’s Tony Parker on a course that challenged shooting, passing and dribbling accuracy at All-Star Weekend.

Players had to make a layup, dribble through a slalom course, throw a chest and bounce pass through a hoop, make a three-pointer, put another chest pass through a hoop, dribble through a second slalom and make another layup — or dunk.

“I always saw Dwyane Wade and them dunking like that at the end, so I said why not me?” Rose said.

Rose’s time of 33.3 seconds in the first round bested Harris’ second-place 36.9. In the final between those two, Rose finished his run of 35.3 seconds with the nasty slam, while Harris, who went first, took 39.7.

“It means a lot,” Rose said. “It means people know me, little kids are out there watching me, in Phoenix, worldwide. I’m part of history with some of the greatest players in the league. I’m just happy.”

Even though Rose posted the two fastest times of the night, he looked almost nonchalant, joking that he didn’t want to trip and fall and get teased back in Chicago.

Previous winners include Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Wade — the type of premier players with whom Rose aims to be associated. The large trophy he won is a start.

“I’ll give it to my mom,” Rose said. “She will probably cry over it.”