Two of Chicago's favorite sons, Chicago Bulls small forward Jabari Parker and Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose, go way back.
Rose and Parker attended Simeon Career Academy for high school in Chicago, and Parker views Rose as his idol and mentor. Rose’s family is very close with Parker’s and the two players keep in touch a lot throughout the season and summertime.
Another thing Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker have in common is their bad luck with knee injuries. Rose has endured four knee surgeries after becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history back in 2011, while Parker has torn his ACL two times. Both players, however, haven't given up on their dreams to continue playing basketball despite the adversity, and Parker says Rose inspired him to keep fighting, via Brandon Robinson of Scoop B Radio:
“I just want people to dig in and to really realize how tough that is,” Parker said. “Not a lot of people look at a story and appreciate that, from the back. When you don’t quit, and you continue on, that’s success in itself, and there’s a lot of people that can use those intangibles for everyday usage, because you don’t have an easy life.
“Everybody’s dealing with something, and he’s a person that’s pretty much never quitting.”
One of the highlights of Jabari Parker’s introductory press conference with the Chicago Bulls over the summer was his passionate defense of Rose. Parker was offended when a reporter asked him if Rose’s tenure with the Bulls ended in a bad way, and Parker quickly shut the reporter down by saying, “Derrick had no lows. He didn’t. Because he still maintained. Derrick is a legend.”
Parker is right: Derrick Rose’s determination and hard work should be appreciated. This is a man who has been through hell and back four times now. But he keeps getting back up, for the love of the game.
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