Bulls news: Derrick Rose speaks on his relationship with Joakim Noah

Derrick Rose explained how he used his former Bulls teammate, Joakim Noah, as a model in raising his eldest son.

As part of an interview with NBC Sports, Derrick Rose explained how he used his former Bulls teammate, Joakim Noah, as a model in raising his eldest son, P.J.

Rose came to know Joakim quite well, as they spent time together in both Chicago and New York. He was interested in Noah's financially stable upbringing and often asked him questions about the various schools he attended as a child.

Noah grew up in a wealthy family, as his father, Yannick Noah, is a former professional tennis player and singer from France. Joakim's mother, Cécilia Rodhe, is a former model and Miss Sweden 1978. Rose, on the other hand, is from Chicago's inner city, but he went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Rose discussed his relationship with Noah:

“I mean, Jo, I think he wouldn’t mind me saying this, he grew up a silver spoon. I call him soft socks,” Rose said, via NBC Sports. “That’s no knock for people who grew up like him. I used to ask him a lot of questions when he was on the team. I mean, like from grammar school, high school, college, just ask him the activities that he got into when he was older because he had access to everything. He was financially stable. His parents were around here and there.”

Rose was keeping notes for the future. More specifically, his son's future. P.J. is growing up in a wealthy family, just as Joakim did:

“I used to ask about some of the diplomatic schools he used to attend in New York and how he’d travel to France and internationally,” Rose added. “This whole time, I’m keeping tips. I’m keeping them in my head because it’s like, ‘All right, when my son grows up, he’s going to be in the exact same position as Joakim.’ . . . What drew me to Joakim is his mentality, how he’s independent. He’s not living off his Pops’ legacy. He has made his own legacy in a way. That’s something that I always loved and I was drawn to.”

Rose, who signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Pistons in July, will make his second appearance of this season at the United Center on Wednesday night. In his first visit of this campaign, the crowd stood in ovation, belting out MVP chants.