Nothing screams better like a fruitful partnership than when two parties express the fact that they need each other and are better off in each other's company. In the case of Derrick Rose and the Memphis Grizzlies, this is the case. The Grizzlies have made it clear that they value the locker room presence Rose gives a mostly young team (specifically Ja Morant) on top of whatever contributions he'll give the team on the court.

And after the Grizzlies' 127-122 win over the Indiana Pacers in the first game of their 2023 preseason, the 35-year old former MVP expressed just how much it means for him to suit up in front of a Memphis crowd that took him in as one of their own back when he played for the city's beloved Tigers under current Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

“It's still unreal. Like it still didn't hit me yet… I’m very blessed, I’m very grateful to be here, having this opportunity,” Rose said, per Bally Sports Grizzlies, via ClutchPoints Twitter. “I'm always in their gratitude, so that's the reason why I came back.”

It's not hard to see why Derrick Rose feels this way towards the city of Memphis. After all, back in the 2007-2008 collegiate basketball season, it was in Memphis where Rose established himself as a future NBA star, helped by the tutelage of John Calipari. And now, coming off a season in which he barely played, it's poetic of sorts for the 2011 NBA MVP to try and resuscitate his career in the place where he first found his footing.

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With Ja Morant out for 25 games due to the suspension he incurred thanks to his off-court troubles, Rose will have ample opportunity to prove his worth to the Grizzlies on the hardwood. Rose can prove that he's not just someone the team picked up for Morant to learn from, as he's slated to pick up the majority of backup minutes behind Marcus Smart.

Rose will be well-rested too since he played in just 27 games for the New York Knicks; so given his comfort and excitement levels in playing for the Grizzlies, perhaps a renaissance could be in order.