Derrick pays tribute to hard work - and his mama!

Derrick accepted his MVP honors yesterday (the Kia he was given he kindly donated to Meals on Wheels, as we all would probably do with a Kia if we had his kind of money), and if you haven't seen it, I think you should take a look. His whole speech is a display of gratitude and emphasis on working hard, but it isn't until Derrick talks about his mother at the end that you can tell just how much he really means it. It's a rare moment of non-basketball related emotion from His Shyness*. (Not yet an approved nickname for Derrick, perhaps I have to address that more in the previous post on team nicknames.)

Now, I infamously cry at everything, so it is not surprise that when Derrick started talking about his mother, I was tearing up. What was surprising was seeing Derrick do the same. The emotion that choked his voice a bit, that made him pause for a moment before he could talk about how much he loves his mother, is something we never get to see from Derrick.

And then he said something that made me feel so confident that this is just the beginning for our young superstar. He mentioned that whenever he feels tired or doesn't want to keep pushing himself, he thinks about all the times his mother got up for work, how she provided for her family in hard times, and it makes him continue to push harder.

"Brenda Rose. My heart, the reason that I play the way that I play, just everything. Just knowing [that] the days that I don't feel like going into practice, or I'm having a hard time, I think about her when she had to wake me up, go to work and just making sure that I'm all right and making sure the family's all right. Those are hard days. My days shouldn't be hard because I love doing what I'm doing and that's playing basketball. So you keep me going every day and I love you and I appreciate you being in my life."

The love and respect he has for his mother and family is touching. And it shows that Derrick's motivation is rooted in the tangible things in his life. He doesn't want to win basketball games because he wants to be rich and famous (though I'm sure those perks do help), but he wants to win because he knows that he is one of the lucky people who had a good family growing up and a God-given ability to play basketball. He owes it to those people that support him to make them proud, and it pushes him everyday to be the best he can be. He has perspective. Derrick Rose makes me a very proud Chicago Bulls fan, and I can only imagine how his mother feels everyday, and especially after that speech.

A couple other quick notes on the video:

1. How funny was it to see Jo, Taj and Ronnie in sweats leaning against the Kia for charity? I love how in a room full of nicely dressed people, those three managed to rock their own style and sit away from everyone else. I do wonder if Korver, Deng and the rest of the Bulls were seated in chairs somewhere out of the camera shot wearing suits...

2. It was great to hear Derrick pay homage to the greats before him. What impresses me so much about Derrick is that he is the face of a franchise formerly identified by THE Michael Jordan, yet it doesn't seem to phase him too much. Instead, he is grateful to the Scotties and the Michaels and all the other greats because it helped create the rabid fan base that so enthusiastically supports Derrick's career. It was a classy move to mention those guys, and he is right, all of those players on the 6 championship teams are still in the forefront of Bulls' fans minds. Did you hear the way the cameras clicked a little more fervently when Derrick mentioned BJ's name?

Lastly, I think tonight will be a bounce back game for the Bulls. Derrick gets his MVP trophy tonight in front of a home crowd that I think will be as hyped up about the award as he will be. I share the concerns of many others at this point about their ability to overcome the Heat in the next round, if not the Hawks in this one. (Let's be honest, with the way they are playing, the Heat should look like the favorites in the East right now.) I will say this however: What I know (or think I know) about Derrick is that his motivation is practically otherworldly. After seeing him address his mother so lovingly, I realize even more just how great his desire to succeed is. With all the expectations on the Bulls team this year, there would no doubt be crushing disappointment if they went out before the Finals. But if that happens (and of course, we all hope it doesn't), I think the frustration of losing prematurely for the Bulls will spark them to a greater amount of focus next season. Because regardless of this season's outcome, the career of Derrick Rose is just beginning. He's 22, he's got talent and drive, and he's got a mother he clearly wants to make proud. And should he lose in the playoffs this year, well I'm tempted to guarantee a Bulls championship next year. Because the only thing missing on Derrick's list of motivating factors is anger, and he will be angry if they don't make it out of the East. And I have a feeling that outside of Bulls fans, you wouldn't like Derrick when he's angry.