Detroit Pistons: Derrick Rose looks back on fond memories with Kobe

Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Kobe Bryant (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Looking back on some of Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose’s memories with Kobe Bryant.

This Christmas will mark nine years since Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls dueled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in an instant holiday classic.  Bryant finished with 28 points to Rose’s 22, but Rose coming off of his MVP year soared for a game-winning floater over future teammate Pau Gasol.

Rose and Bryant had several battles thereafter with Rose holding onto those valuable memories, honoring Bryant’s legacy by taking after the “Mamba Mentality.”

“I love Kobe so much,” Rose said in the new epilogue of his autobiography “I’ll Show You.”  “His death, man, that’s something that’s always going to hurt … It’s a weird feeling, ‘Oh, s***, Kobe’s not here.  Damn.’  I never tried to copy his moves, but just his grind and his evolution as a player.  That’s what drove me.”

Bryant left a profound mark across the NBA to include Rose, who Bryant saw potential in prior to Rose becoming the NBA’s youngest MVP.

“I can tell when a player truly wants to be better … I respect that about them,” Bryant told Mike Wilbon of ESPN.  I admire that because that was a quality that I had when I was a kid growing up.  That being said I’ve seen improvement in his game from last year (2009) to this year (2010).  Seeing that improvement shows me that he’s putting time into the gym, and I certainly respect that.”

Bryant also was a big brother figure to Rose as told on the Dan Patrick show, “Kobe was the first NBA player to actually son me … like big brother me,” Rose acknowledged.

“He stunted on me, he threw his leverage on me.  We were having a commercial shoot, [which] was in Malibu somewhere, and he showed up like three hours late.  I’m like, ‘Damn, c’mon man,’ but I understood where he was coming from.  He made me pay my dues.  I had to deal with him bro.”

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Rose said “dealing with him” in good fun being that in the 2k10 commercial shoot Bryant emphatically said, “My guy’s awesome because he has four rings.”   Rose was left nearly speechless, only able to say, “I can’t say nothing about that.  I gotta get to the second round,” Rose said followed by both Bryant and Rose laughing hysterically.

Those are the moments that Rose holds onto, including his son P.J. Rose having the heralded opportunity to meet the five-time NBA champion Bryant.  Rose cherishes all of the memories he has with Bryant, and carries on his legacy through his perseverance resembling the “Mamba Mentality.”

“Kobe was working on every area of the game,” Rose noted.  “He was athletic, but he was more raw when he first got to the league.  Then the older he got, his footwork got better.

“That’s how I want my career to be, the older I get, you can’t say s*** if I’m productive … ‘Okay, he’s 37, 38.  How the f*** is he still scoring?’ … you have to tune in just off the strength of what I overcame.  I feel like every time I step on the floor it’s history. ”

“Like, I’m doing something nobody in my position did, what I went through … I won’t be the last Derrick Rose, but as long as I tell my story and I’m honest about it, I hope it’s going to touch a lot of people.”