On the court, it’s been quite a while since we’ve had anything great to say about Derrick Rose.
The former All-Star point guard has been a shell of himself over the past couple of seasons due to knee injuries. He played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer, but struggled mightily and proved that he still has a ways to go before he can play anything near what he used to be capable of. The good thing is that he got some of the rust off (hopefully) and will look to build on his game and confidence as he heads into training camp coming up in October.
Off the court, Rose is looking to make a tremendous impact for young kids in need. On Tuesday, he made a huge donation to a non-profit organization called After School Matters. NBA.com has details:
Rose is donating $1-million to After School Matters, a Chicago-based non-profit organization devoted to providing innovative out-of-school programs for teenagers. The teen population that After School Matters serves is almost entirely minority and living at or below the poverty level.
“To have a strong community of people who believe in your potential can make all the difference in the world,” said Rose, a native of Englewood, who is a point guard for the Chicago Bulls. “So many people have invested in me and I want to do the same for Chicago’s teens.”
The funds will be used to drive the growth of unique programming experiences for teenagers throughout the city in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology. Participants develop critical life skills to help them prepare for work, college and beyond. Last year the organization created thousands of opportunities for teens, all with stipends attached, according to E. Robbie Robinson, Vice Chair of After School Matters Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the organization’s 2014 Annual Gala, and a Managing Director at Chicago-based BDT & Company.
Say what you want about the player, but the man is absolutely awesome for putting up that kind of money for such a great cause. Rose’s teammate Nazr Mohammed certainly appreciated the announcement:
This is the type of athlete news that needs to in everywhere RT @chicagobulls: Rose is donating $1-million to … http://t.co/CIobZtYcaM
— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) September 24, 2014
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James Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.