Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose admits the celebrity status that goes along with being the biggest star in his hometown makes him uncomfortable and "doesn't fit my personality." "Sometimes it's too much," Rose told GQ Magazine in a story posted on its website Tuesday. "Chicago isn't used to stardom. Back when Michael [Jordan] was here, everyone was used to actors and singers and people being at the games. But there's been a drought since then, and even celebrities, they'll stop here to film a movie and then pop right back out. They don't know how to act toward celebrity. So I always have someone with me. I can have a hat on, glasses on, whatever. People still notice me. If I go outside without a hat on, I feel like I'm naked. "... This life doesn't fit my personality." Rose, who won two state titles at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, played one season at Memphis before his hometown Bulls made him the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA draft. The quiet and reserved point guard experienced immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year and leading the Bulls to the playoffs. His profile -- locally and nationally -- has risen each year since with three NBA All-Star Game appearances, an impressive performance with Team USA in 2010, a 14-year endorsement deal with adidas worth a reported $250 million and an NBA MVP award last season at 22, making him the youngest recipient of the award in history. Rose told GQ that the more success he has on the court, the tougher it gets for him to deal with his fame. "Don't get me wrong, I don't take anything for granted," Rose, who signed a five-year contract extension worth as much as $95 million in December, told GQ. "But it seems like the better I play, the more attention I get. And I can't get away from it. You play great, you get attention. But I hate attention. It is weird. I'm in a bind. The more you win, the more they come." Read more: http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/stor...bulls-derrick-rose-uncomfortable-dealing-fame
I really liked reading this article. Derrick Rose seems like the NBA's version of Joe DiMaggio. He's obviously a good guy, and so far seems impervious to the personality implosions that accompany most superstars as they progress through their careers. I certainly didn't think any less of him after reading the interview.
