‘Jalen Rose had to be a taxi driver for Dikembe Mutombo’s girlfriends’: How Nuggets star helped Mutombo tackle ‘adult’ situations during his NBA rookie year
Jalen Rose was a part of the “Fab 5” from Michigan State – that did not stop Dikembe Mutombo from ragging him.
Coming into the NBA after 2 consecutive finals appearances in the NCAA tournament, Jalen Rose was kind of a big deal. But he quickly found out that his accomplishments meant nothing to the seasoned vets on his team. To them, he was just another rookie who had to be ragged.
Dikembe Mutombo was Rose’s senior buddy, and he made him do all sorts of chores. From bringing them donuts to practice to cab services for his lady friends, Mt. Mutombo made him do everything under the sun. It wasn’t easy, but he endured 2 years of this in his first two years.
He was expected to be at Mutombo’s beck and call, even at late night. “You might get a call at 2 in the morning and a veteran might need some adult situations to help them get through the night,” Jalen said in an interview. While he may think that he had it hard, for some, he was let go easy.
Jalen Rose was a pretty good basketball player himself
Jalen Rose was an All-Star at the collegiate level, and a solid basketball player in the NBA. 14 points a game, averaging a career-high point of 23.8 points a game, and yet he is remembered for 2 things only. One is that incredibly sculpted hairline of his, and two is that night in LA let Kobe Bryant score 81.
When he came into the league, he was quickly humbled by Dikembe, but that did not stop him. Many would have crumbled if a man-mountain made them their errand boy, but resilience pays off. He endured it with his pearly white smile and made a good career for himself.
He may not have had any sort of team success whatsoever, but he made his money and is now a respected Sports Analyst. Not unlike some people (Kendrick Perkins *cough cough*).
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