Derrick Rose from No. 1 to No. 25; Point Guard Opens New Chapter with Knicks 'Superteam'
For 27-year-old Derrick Rose, a new era has come to New York.
The former Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year has a lot of issues to deal with before his official court debut as a Knick, but Rose is ready to face the changes with his new team—and his new number.
No. 25
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Fans looking forward to seeing Rose's first game will also be seeing a notable change. Not only would he ditch the red and black for blue and orange, he will also drop the No. 1 and switch to 25.
Asked about the significance of the new number, Rose invoked nostalgia. He wore No. 25 as a player for Simeon High School back in Chicago, in honor of Benji Wilson, whose stellar high school career was cut short by his death in 1984.
Rose said he wanted to remind everyone that his roots are still intact, as a homegrown Windy City star. This comes in spite of his departure from the Bulls in June, the team which selected him first overall in the 2008 draft and witnessed his best years in return.
Not only that—he also promised a more mature player donning the No. 25, calling it "a new step in the right direction." He said aside from being more under-control than he was toward the end of last year, he has more options now.
A new superteam?
Indeed he does. Knicks GM Phil Jackson managed to put together a team steaming with potential, backed by the veteran guile of franchise star Carmelo Anthony, who put up an impressive performance in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The talented roster, to be coached by NBA legend Jeff Hornacek, also boasts rising sophomore Kristaps Porzingis, who silenced critics of his draft positions by posting Rookie of the Year-worthy scoring, rebound and block averages. Also joining the team are Rose's former teammate and former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee.
These additions prompted Rose to label the Knicks a "superteam," raising them at par with Lebron James' Cavaliers and the Kevin Durant-Stephen Curry duo at Golden State. He said they have the potential to win every game, which, as he pointed out, is a rare feat in the league.
Uncertainty
As with every Rose update, however, his health never goes unquestioned. He first tore his ACL in the left knee during a 2012 playoff match against the 76ers, and was never the same since—missing the whole 2012-2013 season and multiple games from 2013 up to last season.
With everyone, especially in New York, craving to see him back in MVP form, No. 25 claims he still got it.
"I feel like I'm not done," Rose told The Vertical. "It's a new start. I feel rejuvenated, and when you put all that together, when I step on the floor, I really don't know what to expect."
