CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose was in Chicago Thursday for a huge media event to launch his latest signature basketball shoe from adidas, the D Rose 3. The unveiling of the shoes, the new logo, and the apparel collection were supposed to be the centers of attention, but a raw and authentic display of emotion from Rose himself was what ended up stealing the show.
About 25 minutes into the presentation, and after a video was shown -- one in a series which chronicles his journey to make it back to the court after suffering a torn ACL in the first game of the playoffs last April -- Rose found himself trying to hold back the tears as he was overcome with emotion.
At that point, adidas Vice President of Global Basketball Lawrence Norman expertly stepped in.
“I know it’s emotional,” Norman said. “You just have to understand that you’re inspiring millions of fans with your comeback. But the purpose of “The Return” goes both ways, because they’re inspiring you. Whether it’s communicating with you on Facebook or Twitter, or the millions and millions of hits on your videos. Inspiration goes both ways, so maybe you can tell us about some of the inspiration you’re getting from your fans.”
But Rose wasn’t yet ready.
After a good 30 seconds in a room that went silent, save for the fast-clicking sounds of the cameras that were being snapped repeatedly to capture this powerful moment, Rose began to speak.
“It’s truly a blessing,” Rose said, while still choking back the tears. “With all of the stuff that’s going on in this city, a kid from Englewood has got something positive going on. That makes me feel so good. This shoe is great; all this is great. But I can’t explain this. I can’t. I went through so much. To have, like, true fans, that means a lot to me. And I know it means a lot to my family, because we’re not supposed to be here. At all. But God made the way.”
Rose is one of the most humble superstars the game has today; he spent parts of the presentation uncomfortably staring at the ground while his accomplishments were recited, and while praise was heaped upon his shoulders. When forced to think about the path he took to get to this elite level, it’s evident that even now, four years into his NBA career, he’s extremely grateful -- both for the success he’s achieved thus far, and for those that continue to support him along the way.
“This is truly unreal,” he said. “I’m just happy that I have true fans out there.”
