MJ without the ego..

Sometimes when you watch this man play, its hard not to think about the man that did it before him... Michael Jordan.. Derrick Rose hates being compared to Michael Jordan but sometimes you cant help but do it. The way he fearlessly drives to the rim and gets the ball in the hoop with the straightest face. He was the rookie of the year.. 2 time All Star..Youngest MVP in NBA history, he is global superstar.. But he doesnt wear his accomplishments on his sleeve, he just plays the game. 

  It was spread all around the country last week that he signed a 5 year extension with the bulls worth 94 million. But in an interview last monday he said.. "To tell you all the truth, I dont even know how much I get paid now, I just know that I get paid, I watch my accounts weekly, theyre growing, and Im happy. I just play my game"... 


 Most NBA players would be boasting about this, and splurging.. showing everyone how much money he has. It wasnt a secret that Jordan did lots of this in his day. Car, clothes. houses... But not Derrick. Actually, a few days after he signed his new contract, he quietly walked into the UIC Pavilion with a few friends to watch his high school basketball team play.( Of course once the media spotted him and plastered his face all over the big screen tv, he had to beef up his security for the evening. He doesnt spend a bunch of money on clothes. The last few times Ive seen him, he looked like a regular guy, White v neck, jeans and jordans. I have seen his custom range rover but... The man has to get around right?


 But I think that it is easy for people to get really full of themselves in this league. I read a story on ESPN.com a few days ago and the guy was upset about an interview that he did with Lebron James. The reporter said that not only was the Lebron late, he showed up in a motorcade of about 5 black SUVs, filled with lebrons unneeded entourage. Then to make matters worse.. The reporter couldnt talk to Lebron directly... He had to talk to a "liason" who gave the message to Lebron. For example, they were doing a photo shoot. And the reporter wanted lebron to drive right and dunk. So he'd say "O.K., have LeBron drive right,’ and then he’d turn to LeBron and say, ‘LeBron, go right.’ ” Are you serious?


 Chicago is his city, and he wants to put it on his back and carry it wherever he can. I had the chance to work with him on a charity project a few months ago, and you can tell that he is really into it. He puts a huge emphasis on giving back to his old neighborhood. And whats most admirable is that its not a front. Thats him. He's MJ without the ego. Lets hope he gets a ring to put in his trophy case in the future.