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‘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

Arun Sharma
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‘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.

Also Read: “It was so easy for Kobe Bryant, he ain’t have no highlights that game”: When Jalen Rose revealed how the Lakers legend didn’t need to break out flashy plays on route to score 81 points

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*).

Also Read: “Michael Jordan, you can’t put me on a poster!”: When Dikembe Mutombo got himself on the receiving end of a poster DUNK by the Bulls’ GOAT

About the author

Arun Sharma

Arun Sharma

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Arun Sharma is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A double degree holder and a digital marketer by trade, Arun has always been a sports buff. He fell in love with the sport of basketball at a young age and has been a Lakers fan since 2006. What started as a Kobe Bryant obsession slowly turned into a lifelong connection with the purple and gold. Arun has been an ardent subscriber to the Mamba mentality and has shed tears for a celebrity death only once in his life. He believes January 26, 2020, was the turning point in the passage of time because Kobe was the glue holding things together. From just a Lakers bandwagoner to a basketball fanatic, Arun has spent 16 long years growing up along with the league. He thinks Stephen Curry has ruined basketball forever, and the mid-range game is a sight to behold. Sharma also has many opinions about football (not the American kind), F1, MotoGP, tennis, and cricket.

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