Tuesday, March 13th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  92 responses

Derrick Rose Angry Over a Lack of ‘Superstar’ Calls


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Judging from Derrick Rose’s tone last night, you’d have thought that the Chicago Bulls took an L against the bumbling New York Knicks. That wasn’t the case, of course, but the reigning MVP was fuming regardless.

DRose complained to the media about a perceived lack of whistles from the refs when he takes it hard to the cup, and defiantly said he didn’t mind getting hit with a fine by the NBA for voicing his frustrations.

From CSN Chicago‘s (and SLAM contributor) Aggrey Sam:

Rose, utilizing his typical attacking style of play, drove to the basket time and again against New York’s defense and while he went to the charity stripe nine times, he expressed his displeasure with the officiating afterwards. “I’ve got to be the only superstar in the league that’s going through what I’m going through right now,” he said, referring to his lack of free-throw attempts. “But I can’t say too much about it.”

“How many times did I shoot today? And I’m the point guard,” he said, before discussing his strategy to combat the problem. “Keep going hard and make them call it. Keep driving. Just try to put pressure on them. If anything, I was worried about my turnovers. [...] “I could care less right now [about being fined by the NBA for his comments],” the Englewood native continued. “I want to continue to play the way I know how to play. I came in this league a driver. Nothing has changed. I’ll continue to play hard and try to win.”

Derrick Rose said his monster dunk midway through the fourth quarter — the game’s signature moment — was a result of pent up frustration with the referees: “I was just mad I guess. I don’t usually dunk it. It takes me a lot to dunk. After that, I don’t know what was going on. I probably blacked out a bit. I was just mad I wasn’t getting any calls.”

With the Bulls sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings, this could be a case of Rose planting some psychological seeds in the officials’ minds so that he gets a few more calls when the Playoffs roll around, something that would make the fine that’s likely coming his way more than worth it.

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  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    The humble one displays another bout of arrogance.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Rose is very good at avoiding contact. And he’s so strong a lot of the contact doesn’t look like it affects him. His FT attempts have always been lower then they should be. But idk if b*tching about it is the right decision. It might be.

  • Jeff

    All this crap would be drastically reduced if the ref’s would call the game according to the rules. By allowing the crap on the court the ref’s don’t know where to to draw the line game to game. Walks, moving picks, no call bang’em up charges, and hard fouls that risk careers sets the case for what should be predicable rule calling to strickly subjective “seat of the pants” decisions by the ref’s.

    D’Hoops shut’em up with that SLAM…..Who Wa…….!!!!

  • Luiyo

    So much for the super humble kid, nobody really humble calls himself “superstar” so KD is alone right now… Rose you still are second

  • Clementina V

    DRose you are a star keep shinning. If NBA give you a fine for expressing yourself we your “Dedicated Fans”will pay it off. You are CHERISHED by us. Peace/Love/Happiness Keep believing in yourself and Keep up the good work.

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHoliday

    Complaining about the refs while referring to yourself as a superstar. Guess the D in D-Rose stands for dumb@$$!

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    1st rose twists and avoids contact, just like he always has. he doesn’t do it as much as he used to, but he doesn’t allow contact to happen like wade, westbrook, lebron and say eric gordon do. and 2nd…. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this comment. on the one hand this is NOT humble…dead that. But… on the other hand does it matter? if i’m the youngest, and one of the most athletic mvp’s in history…. haven’t I earned the right to call myself a superstar? can i afford to be humble in a place like the nba? there’s a difference between being humble and keeping your ego in check.

  • LA Huey

    As Phil Jackson proved, time and time again: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

  • cecilia rowley

    the only superstar in the league???? man! let others recognized you insted of lifting your own chair.why you are not sure of your own status you have to remind people? for what to get special treatment???
    what a big head!!

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    You guys are lames, so pointing out the obvious is arrogance? Because he clearly started the obvious, he’s a superstar? He did he must be, not he is. He’s a superstar everyone fricking knows that he didn’t call himself anything more than what he is.

  • Ridin84z

    When your making a guaranteed $200m, whats there to complain about.

  • http://slamonline house

    @cecilia Rowley: try engaging that brain of yours before you speak huh?

  • brandon

    bulls sitting comfortably atop the East? they have just as many losses as Miami and have played 4 more games..get real

  • roybot

    Wow so all these guys don’t think D. Rose is a superstar? If he’s a superstar, then obviously he knows it himself and has the right to call himself one. You guys have the right to call yourselves superstars too if you played like one, but you guys don’t, and Derrick does. What kind of MVP is not allowed to call himself a superstar??? He’s obviously frustrated or else he wouldn’t have said ANY of this. SMH @ people thinking they’re all morally/egotistically superior to an NBA superstar(It was me who said it that time, NOT DERRICK) because they got nothing better to do with their lives, so they have to analyze NBA players’ lives. On a closing note, If you guys are talking humble AND modest, theres a recently retired baller by the name of Brandon Roy who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.

  • Mark

    I love how he begins to complain about this before the Heat game! A few extra points from a foul is not going to get you the win! Noah, Boozer and Deng need to become better shooters. Your defense is one of the strongest in the league and your offense is a B at best! The Heat can better penetrate the basket and are also a top defensive team in the league. Bosh dominated against Noah and Deng! Rose, your job is to play the game! Don’t be an official, be a leader!

  • khalil salman

    That dude isn’t a superstar superstars don’t complain Lebron doesn’t complaint anymore d rose isn’t even good he shoots less than 45% percent each game nash is better over and so is cp3

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    Reading comprehension is golden. No one is saying he isn’t a superstar it’s just funny to hear him say “I’m the only superstar” when it comes to not getting calls. There are plenty of games where he indeed gets the benefit of the whistle. It’s just human nature to only focus on the times things don’t go your way.

  • Jerome

    The Clippers/Celts game had wayyyyy more contact … very few calls … better game all around. Rose is letting the MVP go to his head.

  • khalil salman

    Wade is 10x better than rose hands down

  • http://nyill.wordpress.com Enigmatic

    “LeBron doesn’t complain anymore”
    LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    What the hell is going on around here?

  • vaughn stroud

    Its just no you, its all the other players also. Last night i watched Blake Griffin get shoved out of bounse right in front of the ref and no call was made. Kobe bryant goes to the all the time. Your big centers around the league are always getting fouled and the refs either wait to see if the shot was made or sometimes they don’t make a call at all. What the commissioner will do is fine any player or coach if they speak out against the refs rather than fix the problem. It reminds of the days of Larry bird where 1 photo of him was taken of him shooting his pattened jump shot and a foul was called and there was no foul. that is what makes me mad sometimes with the nba. david stern have yours call the game farely, that all your basketball fans want. I’m a longtime fan and you can’t fine me. Get together stop the bias no call or call abuse.

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    Reading comprehension is good. He said he MUST be not that he is. Anyways Wade is not better lolll.

  • roybot

    T-Ray, you’re absolutely correct, its human nature to let the negatives rather than positives go to your head. Derrick Rose is a human. Superstars are human. Derrick is a superstar who has human nature and will say things that express HIS feelings and only his, so why all the hate? He makes mistakes that even the most humble of humans will make. All these people are suddenly treating him like he’s the most arrogant person in the L.
    This should be a non-story, period. If they fine him, then they fine him, he will move on, get some more 30+scoring games, will surely get 25+ shots in plenty more games and most people will forget he said any of this. Done defending Rose, let’s let the MVP do that for himself.

  • AiRsMiTh

    @ LDR4 Yes.

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    red wade isn’t better than rose? your hilarious.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Chubachuchi

    If stating an arguable opinion is considered arrogant I’m pretty sure no one is humble. If Kobe, Wade, and Bron get calls off petty contact and b*tching at the refs it should be a given that Drose should get to the foul line alot too considering the contact he takes when he drives, which is often. KD won’t complain about this cause he gets superstar calls too. I agree that fouls aren’t called on Rose cause hes too fast and strong it seems like nothing happened, but there is contact. Still,he should be getting more calls though.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Every year around this time this same conversation about DRose not getting calls comes up. But truth is, it varies from game to game with him. Some games Derrick gets a lot of calls, other games, like last night, he doesn’t.
    I’m sure it’s frustrating because he knows guys like Kobe, Bron, DWade and KD all get tons of calls, but it’s good that he spoke up and ate the fine because maybe that’ll help him get those whistles.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    1. Rose is a superstar
    2. All players complain and feel like they don’t get calls.
    3. Rose and Chicago fans feel like it’s especially true for him.
    4. Lots of fans enjoy false modesty like they enjoy false hustle
    5. I can’t believe people care this much about his comments.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    ^ that’s why i think this may have been the right decision. it’s hard to say those, some refs are definitely not going to like him insinuating there is even a such thing as “superstar calls” though. I bet they would have rather him said foul calls other guys get.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    That was in response to BC

  • http://nyill.wordpress.com Enigmatic

    $25K fine…Rose just bought a $2.8 million condo in Trump Towers.
    He’ll be aight…

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Rose is the man, I can’t wait until he gets some offensive help, so he can put the Heat out. BOOK IT!!

  • michael

    people that say rose is being a baby obviously doesnt watch bulls games rose was on a mission last nite and he should of went to the line 20 times he goes in the lane and puts his body and career at risk more than any other player in the nba and its not fair he has to get hammered for the refs to blow the whistle, deron williams went to the line 20 something times when he was in a normal rose attack mode, every game the refs swallow their whistle, and rose is not like other players he gets to the lane and basket more than anyone and shouldnt be 18th in free throws he should be in the top 5

  • http://www.nba.com VanCityBBall

    i love derrick rose but i disagree. i HATE those fouls that are called just because they are (example), kobe bryant or lebron james or dwayne wade or even pau gasol. working the ref’s i can understand but calls need to be more consistant no matter who you are

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    Lol wade is better than Rose, that’s cute.

  • ClydeSays

    DRose & co could take a cue from MJ. Talk to the refs & you might get some consideration. Scream at them & they’ll take pleasure in NOT giving you the call.

  • Jordan

    you damn right he could care less because he got that damn nba and adidas contract

  • Ryan

    DRose is a g and will always be a g. He’s a superstar because everyone calls him a superstar. He is playing the cards that are dealt to him and I give him mad respect. Everyone says something dumb every now and then but that doesn’t mean he is not humble. Figure it out world

  • Tom

    its always the same with the refs, when you are big at your position, you do not get enough foul calls going your way. Shaq used to get fouled every time, Dwight, Lebron, and Rose should all be going to the line a lot more than they are at right now. If your Kobe or Durant, its like your arm is so small and weak that when anyone touches you it becomes obvious to the refs, but for the freakish athlete like Rose when people touch him, he is able to power through it and the refs see a decent shot put up so they swallow the whistle.

  • Justin

    Even though he is MVP, I’m shocked he called himself a “superstar”. Very out of character DRose. I hope the fame is not getting to his head. I can’t even see Lebron saying that, even though he thinks it.

  • huggy55

    This is just more Bullsh**. Just like Jordan and Pippin use against the Detroit Piston(bad boys). In the playoffs that year Laimbeer would get knocked to the ground and no call and Jordan would shoot 3 free throws on a shot attempt where Dumars lacked two feet of ever touching him.

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