Jalen Rose, Who Survived An Assassination Attempt, Was Driven By 911 To A Veterinarian Because His ‘Dawg’ Got Shot

Former NBA Player Jalen Rose recalls the time a man pulled up to his Bentley and tried to shoot him and his friend

Jalen Rose played in the NBA for 14 seasons, averaging 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists during that span. Rose was drafted as the 14th pick in the 1994 Draft, but his best work came in the late 90s, under Larry Bird and the Pacers. He led the team in scoring in the 1999-2000 season and helped them make three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

Not a lot of people remember him for the same though. They remember Rose as the guy who was on the receiving end when Kobe Bryant dropped 81. After wrapping up his NBA career, he became a sideline reporter for TNT. Since then, he’s been a part of the ESPN/ABC family. Currently, he hosts a weekly podcast, and also is a part of ESPN’s Get Up!

Things would not have turned out the way they did, if Rose did not trust his instincts on that night in December 2003.

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Jalen Rose was rushed to the veterinarian instead of a hospital, because of the way he spoke

In December 2003, Rose was driving a loaner drop-top Bentley, when he was followed by a red caddy truck. Jalen stopped at a traffic light when he saw someone get down from that truck, and pulls up to his car with a nine-millimeter.

Rose felt the whole thing was a blur, but the guy with the gun slowed down for a second. He used this as a chance to hit the gas and speed away. The guy shot nine times, hitting the car, and Jalen’s co-passenger, his friend. As soon as he got to a safe distance, Rose look over and saw his friend was bleeding. He called 911 and told them, “Please tell me where the closest hospital is. My dawg just got shot.”

If you are familiar with the slangs, you know how ‘homie’ and ‘dawg’ are used. Unfortunately, the operators on the 911 call that Jalen Rose made weren’t. They took him to a vet clinic, instead of a hospital. Thankfully though, there was a hospital right there, and Rose took his buddy inside.

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I guess what we should take away from this story is, abstain using slangs while placing emergency calls.