Derrick Rose, the 22-year-old who has been named the NBA's youngest-ever Most Valuable Player, doesn't really remember the athlete who previously held the record. ("The Bullets, right? Wasn't he a big man or something like that?" Rose said when asked about Wes Unseld, who was named MVP at age 23. "I never watched any of his games.")
It's understandable — Rose was born in 1988, the year Unseld was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Washington Post reports.
Rose earned the award this year after leading the Chicago Bulls to the league's best overall record and personally averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds in this third season.
"It's amazing. This is only my third year. I'm still learning things about the game, still making careless turnovers, things like that," said Rose. "But to be MVP at 22 years old, it makes me want to push harder, work harder, stay in the gym longer. Those are the types of things that push me, especially having this award. I'm blessed to be in this position right now."
ESPN called his acceptance speech a "slam dunk." In an era in which athletes often make us cringe with their arrogance, we have to agree. Rose's humility in response to this honor is just as impressive as his record-breaking game.
Read more at the Washington Post.
In other news: VIDEO: The Big Obama-Osama Mistake.
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