Derrick Rose has persevered through many challenges over the course of his 11-year-career. And, according to the testimony of the former NBA MVP himself, Kobe Bryant helped him learn to fight through them by adapting to an ever-changing landscape.
“To play 20 years, you got to be able to adapt. Not totally change your game, but adapt to the little nuances of the game. Shooting, you would think that shooting is one of the first things you do, but guys make it to the league and shooting is just not their skill.
So, Kobe showed, with work ethic, that with time you can actually work on those skills. So, with him making it, I would say that it gave me a chance to see him up close… and to actually see how he became the player that he is and he was paying attention to the way the game was changing.
I had to shoot 40% in Minnesota to stay in the league I changed my shot totally, had surgery on my elbow.”
More from @drose on @pushinthrupod about how Kobe showed him how to adapt in the evolution of the league, which leads to longevity.
Listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/zRFHr07qAu pic.twitter.com/FGoL2Wm0gG
— BJ Armstrong (@bjarmstrong) October 30, 2020
The NBA has become a shooters league, and not everyone has been able to keep up with the change. Kobe Bryant, thanks to all the work he did on and off the floor, was able to keep up with the trend and stay effective late in his career.
Derrick Rose saw Bryant’s approach and made it his own, working to hone in on his long-distance shot-making abilities. And while he still isn’t the same player he once was, the 32-year-old guard has remained effective, relevant, and valuable despite having struggled with injuries and limitations to his game.
In his latest season, he averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds on 49% shooting for the Pistons.
