“I love Kobe Bryant so much”: Derrick Rose reveals the relationship he shared with the Lakers legend and how they got along

Former league MVP Derrick Rose shot a funny commercial in 2009 with Kobe Bryant, who was the Finals MVP during the time.

The late Kobe Bryant was one of the best players ever to play the sport of basketball. The Black Mamba inspired millions across the globe with his work ethic and passion for the game.

Some of the best talents in the current generation have even been mentored by the Lakers legend. These include the likes of Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, and Jason Tatum.

One such player who looked up to Kobe is Derrick Rose. The former rookie of the year even shot an NBA 2k commercial with the 5x NBA champion.

In September 2019, Rose revealed a hilarious incident that took place during the commercial shoot. Kobe would show up 3 hours late for the shoot. Rose would go on to reveal how Kobe made him pay his dues as a young player in the NBA.

“We were having a commercial shoot and it was in like Malibu somewhere and he showed up like three hours late and I’m like, ‘C’mon man.’ But I understood where he was coming from. He made me pay my dues. I waited for three hours for him.”

Kobe was the cover athlete of the 2K and was coming off winning his 4th championship, which was his first without Shaquille O Neal.

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One of the funniest scenes between Kobe and Rose during that commercial was an instance when both guys were going back and forth about who had the better player in the game. Kobe said his guy had four rings, and Rose started laughing, saying he couldn’t respond since he didn’t have any titles under his belt.

The bond that Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose shared

The tragic death of the Lakers legend shook the entire sporting world. That lead to an outpour of tributes, with millions across the globe paying homage to the superstar.

The death of Kobe continues to impact Rose, who recently released an autobiography called I’ll Show You. Rose mentioned the late Lakers legend in the book as well.

2010-11 MVP wrote:

“You can’t know what it was like, going through everything I had to get through with my injuries, my game, my life,” Rose wrote. “I won’t be the last Derrick Rose. But as long as I tell my story and I’m honest about it, I hope it’s going to touch a lot of people.”

“That’s why I love Kobe so much. His death, man, that’s something that’s always going to hurt … It’s a weird feeling, ‘Oh s—, Kobe’s not here. Damn.’ I never tried to copy his moves, but just his grind and his evolution as a player. That’s what drove me.”

Rose had one of the most tragic journeys in the NBA, from being the league MVP to suffering a series of injuries that robbed him of his prime. Rose had been through it all.

D-rose took inspiration from Kobe and changed his game as his athleticism declined with time. Something similar to what the Black Mamba did.

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D-rose has reinvented himself with the years gone by. Right from accepting the role of a bench player to chipping in during the important phases of a game.

Rose’s performance as Knick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs was nothing short of impressive. D-rose shot 47.6% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc during the series.

Focusing on his jump shots and using his experience in the league as a weapon against the opponents. That is something Kobe would also do at the fag end of his career.