When the Bulls selected former Simeon high school star Derrick Rose with the top pick in the June 26 NBA draft, cheers could be heard throughout the city. Perhaps, many thought, the young man who led his high school team to two straight state titles could
However, the cheers were perhaps the loudest of all at the Beasley Academic Center on South State Street, where Rose attended elementary school. “Everyone here is just ecstatic about Derrick,” said Rose’s coach at Beasley, Thomas Green.
“Everyone from the engineering department to the teachers are just so proud of him. Elementary school teachers have so much impact on a person’s life, and we at Beasley feel we had a good influence on Derrick. This is where it all started for him, and we all feel great,” Green said. Playing for Green at Beasley, Rose led his teams to three straight Public League elementary city titles.
Among his teammates, there were his former teammate at Simeon, Tim Flowers, former Morgan Park football star Chris James, and Larry Dortch, who went on to become a star running back at Mt. Carmel. “I learned a lot at Beasley,” Rose said. “It was a special experience that helped me mature. Coach Greene pushed us not only to be the best basketball player we could be but also the best person.”
At Murray Park in the Englewood community, many of Rose’s friends and former teammates gathered to watch the NBA Draft. When Commissioner David Stern made the announcement that the Bulls were indeed picking Rose with the first pick, the place broke out in celebration.
Quiet and unassuming, to a fault, Rose said the first thing he was going to do with his new fortune as the top pick in the draft was to buy his mother, Brenda, a new home. Rose said he is looking forward to playing for his hometown team. “I played this moment over and over in my mind a thousand times, and this is as good as it gets,” Rose said.
“I will represent my family, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Bulls to the best of my ability.” Rose became the first former Public League player in 27 years to be chosen as the first pick in the NBA Draft. In 1981, former Westinghouse high school star, Mark Aquirre, was the first pick in the draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
Another Chicagoan that was a draft first pick was LaRue Martin, who attended De La Salle. He was taken first by the Portland Trailblazers in 1972. The selection of Rose added to an outstanding year for Public League basketball that saw two girls teams and two boys teams win state titles. “Derrick exemplifies what we have here in the Public League,” said Public League boys basketball coordinator Cyrus McGinnis. “He shows class, and he has talent, and he is the ultimate team player.”
Rose wasn’t the only former Chicago basketball star drafted in the first round. The Washington Wizards with the 18th overall pick selected former Hales Franciscan star Javelle McGee. McGee, a 7-0 center, is the son of former Illinois star George Montgomery and former USC women’s basketball star Pam McGee.
In other NBA news: The NBA finals games were the six highest-rated and most-watched programs so far in June, the first time that has happened in seven years. Boston’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers averaged a 9.3 rating for the series, up 50 percent over the 6.2 for San Antonio’s sweep of Cleveland last year. The Celtics’ Game 6 clincher on Tuesday earned a 10.7 rating on ABC, averaging 16.9 million viewers over the course of the game. Game 5, two nights earlier, averaged 17.4 million viewers.
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