Jalen Rose: Funk Soul Brother

By Stan Eng

Jalen Rose. Now there's a name that was destined for pro stardom after stellar high school and college careers. But it hasn't been easy. In a roundabout way, Rose has carved out a fine NBA career to fulfill the promise expected from him.

Jalen Rose was a highly-regarded 6 ft. 8 in. swingman from Detroit who landed at the University of Michigan in 1991 as part of one of the best recruiting classes ever in college basketball. What transpired from that point on to become the Fab Five is well documented. This groundbreaking group was led by Rose, who originated the black socks and baggy shorts look, which is the precursor to modern-day basketball fashion. Brash and cocky, Rose played out of position handling the point for this high-powered squad because of his versatility. His offensive game was a study in contrasts. Going to the hole with his unguardable height, he was silky smooth with old-school drives and pull-ups in the lane. From the perimeter, however, his lefty shot-put was awkward and certainly not textbook, but effective nonetheless. If teammate Chris Webber's game face was a scowl, Rose wore a smirk. Full of confidence to take on any comers, Rose always met the challenge and even spiced it up with some trash talk in your face.

After two productive years and two trips to the NCAA championship game, Webber left for the NBA and that paved the way for Rose to become The Man in his junior season. Rose took the reins and flourished. Showcasing pro talent with flair and excellent size, I was quite surprised that he was not selected higher in the NBA draft that season. Picked 13th by the Denver Nuggets, his fashion sense made another splash when he strutted to the podium in an unforgettable pinstriped get-up.

To satisfy reader curiosity, these are the first 13 picks of Rose's 1994 draft:

1. Milwaukee: Glenn Robinson
2. Dallas: Jason Kidd
3. Detroit: Grant Hill
4. Minnesota: Donyell Marshall
5. Washington: Juwan Howard
6. Philadelphia: Sharone Wright
7. LA Clippers: Lamond Murray
8. Sacramento: Brian Grant
9. Boston: Eric Montross
10. LA Lakers: Eddie Jones
11. Seattle: Carlos Rogers
12. Miami: Khalid Reeves
13. Denver: Jalen Rose

With his college fairy tale ride over, Rose began the transition to his pay-for-play career. However, the recent booster scandal at Michigan revealed that Rose was one of several former Wolverines players who accepted cash from program booster Ed Martin while playing college basketball. While his case did not garner as much attention as Webber's due to the amounts involved, Rose was still involved in the seedy side of the lucrative world of college basketball.

Rose began his pro career as a point guard for the Nuggets. With his size and skills he elicited comparisons to the great Magic Johnson. He had two decent years playing in all but 3 games and improved in most statistical categories. But he really made his mark after being traded to the Indiana Pacers. Not right away, however. Rose began in coach Larry Brown's doghouse and did not get his chance until new coach Larry Bird came on the scene. Probably appreciative and aware of Rose's versatile big-man talents mirroring his own, Bird re-instilled the self-confidence in Rose to play at a higher level than ever before. He got minutes as a swingman and became a key contributor during the Pacers' run to the 2000 Finals. Despite falling 4-2 to the Lakers, Rose arrived on the big stage with a 23 ppg scoring average for the series.

After that trip to finals, Indiana rebuilt by unloading aging veterans and turning to younger, unproven talent. Rose continued to produce as one of the top two options on Reggie Miller's team, but was traded away in the 2001-2002 midseason in a blockbuster deal with the league's weaklings, the Chicago Bulls.

Going from a perennial playoff contender to one of the worst clubs in the league may seem like a step down, but for the first time in his career Rose became the undisputed leader of his own team, the No. 1 offensive option. Perhaps the first real go-to guy wearing the red and black since Michael Jordan. What a long, strange trip its been: from the new-school Fab Five trendsetting crew that shook up college basketball to the old-school leader trying to show the way for his team's new-school ballers.