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When almost exactly one year ago Derrick Rose said that he wanted to be the NBA’s Most Valuable Player during the ’10-11 season, most fans were either outraged by his confidence or ambivalent to what they believed was a silly suggestion. On the other hand, we kinda believed him, so we went ahead and put it right on the cover of SLAM 143. Twelve months later, here we are: DRose is the reigning MVP, and after a solid trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Chicago Bulls, he’s still looking to get better and take his squad to the next level. And we’ve covered Derrick every step of the way, whether it be as a high schooler in PUNKS, a popular sneaker endorser in KICKS, or a college and then NBA star in our regular SLAM issues. In honor of the point guard’s 23rd birthday, we’ve compiled all of his SLAM covers, along with some portraits we’ve taken at his last two shoots. Click through above and witness the journey for yourself. Happy born day, Derrick!
