Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 10:50 am  |  77 responses

Derrick Rose Took Kobe Bryant’s Advice to Develop a Post Game


DRose took Bean’s advice to heart, and worked hard to develop a post game this offseason/lockout. From the Chicago Tribune: “Last December, weeks after he had pulled Derrick Rose aside for an embrace and encouraging words following a Bulls-Lakers matchup in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant was asked if the gesture represented a passing of the torch. ‘I ain’t passing (expletive),’ Bryant famously said. Rose, of course, loved this comment, telling the Tribune: ‘I look at myself like an old-school player. Back in the day, players really went at each other. His mentality is great.’ Come Christmas Day, Bryant again will show Rose respect by trying not only to win the season opener for both teams but to crush Rose’s spirit. Rose will return the favor. It’s what assassins do, those unique players driven to win at all costs. Bryant always has recognized this dynamic in Rose, which is why he pulled the 23-year-old aside at last July’s exhibition in the Philippines and offered him more pointers. Improve your post game. Find the areas on the floor where double-teaming is more difficult. Seek championships. Rose took Bryant’s advice to heart — and to the court. ‘I worked on my post-up game, my isolation game, working at the elbows, trying to get fouled and get into the lane and put pressure on the defense,’ Rose said. ‘I’m trying to do better than last year. That was a good season, but it’s last year. Only a championship will do.’”

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  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    There’s a big difference between the truth and opinions.

  • robb

    Maybe he won’t rely so much on it this year but getting comfortable with a different style of game early in his career will allow him to be effective when he can’t run as fast or be so explosive 10 years from now. I really respect the guy, his work ethic and his mentality will get him far.

  • hushabomb

    So Rose adds a post game. Now if he gets position on a PG, who’s gonna get him the ball?

    Having said that, gettin a post game will work wonders as now he’s gonna back down everyone and utilise the mid range game instead of trying to break em down with 2 layers of defence then jacking up a 3 if he can’t get through.

    Cos when Kobe did it he looked awesome.

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    maniac kobe hasn’t been the best since…. 08 honestly. but i’m chillin.

  • Maniac

    Anybody who says Kobe wasn’t the before 08 should off themselves. Now I agree to some extent that there is HIGH debate to who was the king after 08. 09 could have went to Kobe, Bron, or Wade. Wade played his a$$ off that year. I have no beef with anyone who thinks Wade has been better since, but you aren’t the majority by far. I think 09 was the year that LeBron became a man lol, that’s why he and Kobe were neck and neck. I’m obviously going to favor Kobe regardless, but I have a lot of objectivity and Kobe still had the intangibles that outweighed any silly stats that can be thrown out… Plus he was winning (that always counts for something).

  • Maniac

    Cosign nbk on the Dr. J comment. Well half cosign lol, he and Kareem shared it. I see it like this: there is always the perimeter player torch and big man torch; sometimes they overlap. I could run through history, but I don’t feel like typing lol. Perimeter torch goes: Cousy, then Baylor/Oscar/West, then Doc, then Bird/Magic, then Jordan, then Kobe. Big Guys go Mikan, Pettit, Russell/Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, Shaq/Duncan, … void lol until Dwight becomes all-time great. Dang I just named my top 15 excluding Cousy, Mikan, and Dwight.

  • Joblo

    His offense is fine, should have concentrated on his d

  • DRU

    ^ His offense is not “fine”. He’s a poor shooter, streaky FT shooter, avg passer, & (like you said) has poor defense. He’s an undersized SG(that can’t shoot) playin’ the point. IMO, Rose is a great player but he’s overrated & was given to much credit for the bulls success. The defense Thibs installed had more to do with their record than Rose. He just doesn’t make the players around him better. Just sayin’…

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Chris Paul and Deron Williams are still definitively the best point guards in the league. Rose is nice, but he has to dish at least 8 dimes a game to be considered as good of a *point guard* (not necessarily player) as the other two.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    How is Rose a streaky FT shooter and average passer when he shot 86% from the line and dished close to 8 dimes a game? Do people even take a second to think before typing.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Good stuff Maniac. I agree with on the big man torch and perimeter man torch. I think LbJ is currently sharing it with Kobe. He hasn’t “yanked” it from Bean yet.

  • http://slamonline.com The Black Rick Kamla

    ……not for nothing, Michael Jordan would’ve never offered advise to help a young guy coming up succeed….just saying

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Jordan regularly gave advice to Kobe while he was playing.

  • Maniac

    Thanks LakeShow and yeah I agree with you that Kobe and LeBron are sort of sharing the torch.

  • Maniac

    I think Rose will narrow the gap on this best pg discussion this year.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Agree with that also^ although I still think for the next few years CP3 will still be the best real(meaning pg first not scorer first, nothing wrong with scoring vs distributing though) pg. John Wall will be doing the most gap closing this next year though. If I recall correctly you weren’t sold on kid, but i’m telling ya. Dudes BEAST. 6’4″, arms are super long, lighting fast, great court vision, shooting much improved it looks, terrible personality…. lol.. I think he will be arguably the 4th best pg by the end of next year.

  • DuckTape The Mob
  • Justin

    This whole “passing the torch” thing is a bit off. Having the torch isn’t just about being the best player in the game or just winning championships. It’s also about being an ambassador for the league ON TOP of doing all those things. Does anybody have that right now? Hard to say Lebron has it with all of the negativity that’s gone his way in the past couple years. I think Derrick Rose could be that guy if he keeps improving at the pace that he is right now. And to say Kobe has gotten really lucky is a bit ridiculous. Having a father who played in the league might help a little but I don’t see Michael Jordan’s kids tearing it up anywhere. Kobe got where he is through incredible work ethic and a will to win/killer instinct not seen by many in sports. Lebron just does not have that and at this stage in the game I doubt he will. Rose does and if he develops a post up game to go along with an improved jump shot it’s going to be scary

  • breezy

    Lolololol lebron with the torch?………how many chips has he got since he came into the league……… Better yet how much chips has kobe got since lebrons been “running” the league……. I’m not even a laker/kobe fan but I know who’s league it is

  • unrel

    kobe is still president.. when i think of kobe and bron.. and who’s better or king or whatever.. i remember that iconic picture of JFK and RFK sitting down, leaning into one another.. both great men.. but little brother still has a lot to learn from big brother… we’re not just comparing players.. we’re comparing the greats of the greats.. so rings must be taken into account.. and also resumes and body of work.. so.. in that sense.. kobe still has the torch.. as far as d. rose goes.. great mentality about winning at all costs.. but he’s not even in the conversation..

  • AD

    i think rose should take advice from jkidd…

  • 23

    I thought the torch belonged to the best player, but I guess its about career achievements and milestones. In that case, why is rose even mentioned?

  • Justin

    It’s not all about career milestones and achievments. Read what I wrote at 4:04

  • bigmike100

    Y wuld a pg need 2 post up 4? dats y dey hve sf pf nd c so dey can go n da post nd bang

  • dhughzy

    Derrick Rose is nasty but just because you win mvp doesn’t mean you’re the best you’ve just created the most buzz…..

  • dhughzy

    oh yea point guards and shooting guards under 6’5 do not need to be posting up at all unless you doing JJ Barea

  • http://Slam OkCityWonder

    Have all you peeps forgot about kevin durant? Everybody’s talkn lebron, kobe, and drose. You all nuts for not even mentioning kd! Best pure scorer our game has seen in years. Oh! Witout much help!

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