Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Shares Love for Derrick Rose

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson thanked Derrick Rose for helping him bloom as a New York Knick.

Rose is the man of the hour as the Knicks descend upon the Windy City on Saturday night to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at United Center (8 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV): though fans will have to wait until next season to see his number retired, the weekend has served as a celebration of Rose’s basketball that worked through both Chicago’s amateur and professional levels.

“I can’t put it into words,” Brunson said of the Knicks being the Bulls’ opponent for Rose night, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I’m so thankful to have him as a role model, as a mentor. That’s my man and I love him to death.”

Though best-known for his time with the Bulls (which produced a memorable run to the MVP Award in 2010-11), Rose also played four seasons over two separate stints with the Knicks (2016-17, 2021-23). That included Brunson’s first tour of Manhattan after he signed with the Knicks during the summer of 2021.

Though Rose’s playing time dwindled as Brunson’s metropolitan debut progressed, it’s clear that No. 1 left an impression on the current captain. The two originally forged a relationship in Chicago when Brunson helped out around the Bulls activities during his father Rick’s stint as an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau. The Brunsons and Thibodeau have since reunited in Manhattan, overseeing one of the most potent current regimes in the NBA.

Rose foresaw Brunson’s rise to the metropolitan top short before the Knicks tipped off the 2022-23 season in Memphis.

“His IQ was through the roof and a lot of people didn’t know how he would adjust playing in the league, especially even when he was in college,” Rose remarked, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “He was a winner, he was winning in college, but [critics said] ‘Oh, he’s not athletic. He’s not a freak of nature, he’s not jumping through the roof, this and that.’

“Like, bruh, he’s a hooper. He’ll find a way to get the job done.”

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