Earlier this afternoon at the United Center in Chicago, adidas and Derrick Rose officially unveiled the next sneaker in his signature shoe line, the D Rose 4. An evolution of earlier models, the shoe features a unique, two-sided synthetic leather upper meant to showcase the former MVP’s distinct on-court, off-court personalities, and is finished with a sick gloss pattern. At 11.9 ounces, it has sole technology found on the adidas Crazyquick, as well as the personal Rose logo that debuted on last year’s version.
[RELATED: Derrick Rose & adidas Unveil New D Rose 4]
Before the launch concluded with a ridiculous fan appreciation event, which featured a dunk contest between streetballers Werm, Guy Dupuy and Sir Isaac as well as a Big Sean concert for thousands of screaming teenagers from the city, I was in the house to check out the shoe and clothing collection, and to chat with the adidas designers.
Rose was also there, and Dime got the chance to spend some time with the former NBA MVP to talk about the new sneaker, his haters and critics, and his rehab process. D-Rose is ready to answer all of your questions…
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What’s your favorite aspect of the new shoe?
Derrick Rose: I think the whole shoe is nice. It’s kind of like my personality into one shoe. The front of it is clean. You can wear it with anything, if you put a pants leg over it. The back is kind of crazy. It’s just like me on the court. I play aggressive, attacking so for them to put both sides of my personality into the shoe, I think that’s what makes the shoe special.
When you guys were going from the 3.0 to the 4.0, was there anything in specific that you were trying to get out of this sneaker?
DR: No, not really. I think Chicago… all my shoes kind of relate back to Chicago. But it wasn’t one thing that I wanted to get out of it. I just wanted a nice product with my logo on it. I wanted to touch both markets – the fashion market and the basketball market – and I think we’re doing a great job of doing that.
When you look around at some of the other teams in the East, how do you think you stack up against Miami, Indiana, Brooklyn?
DR: I think we’re up there with the chemistry. We really didn’t make any big moves like some of those teams, but with the chemistry that we have, I think in the sport of basketball that can take you pretty far. Some teams that you just named are getting guys and you have to get familiar with playing with a teammate. We’ve been around each other for three years already so I think the chemistry is gonna take us far in the season. But we still got to take it one game at a time.
And that stability at the head coaching spot as well, right?
DR: Ah, definitely. Thibs (Tom Thibodeau) and his coaching staff – I think one of the best coaching staffs in the league – but Thibs, I think he’s a genius so we’re fortunate to have him on our team.
I’ve heard you worked on a lot of things you’ve never worked on before just trying to get back, put on some muscle. Talk about what you’ve done physically and nutrition-wise to get back?
DR: First is diet. Don’t get me wrong, I probably do the 80-20 rule, the 20 percent. I won’t say I totally went vegan or anything (laughs). I play around (laughs). I’m 24, man, but I try to eat healthy. Training-wise, I try to push myself every day. Every day that I go into training, I know that it’s a day that I can get better. I take it serious where NBA players, I’ve seen it, they don’t… a lot of NBA players don’t take training serious because they’re already talented. They’re already making millions of dollars. You have your own ego. You’re there. You just wanna show up to a game, so for me to really start from the beginning and really take training serious and still have that talent, like this is my first time really working hard like this off the court in training, lifting. Like I said, I know I’m gonna be a better player but I don’t know how I’mma be. I’ve never been this strong. I’ve never been this mentally prepared in my life.
Were there certain areas of the body that you had to work on?
DR: Everything. I got abs now (laughs). Yeah, yeah. I got abs now. Everywhere, man. I feel every part of my body is stronger. I’m stretching now and I’m learning and trying to stretch at night as much as possible, really just trying to wait ’til the day that I’m on the court and just see if I get a good result. Now, if I get that good result, I know I’m gonna go crazy. I know I’m gonna be a maniac on just doing those things every day because that’s just how I am. I’m just waiting until that day.
Keep reading to hear Rose talk about his critics…
The ad that adidas just put out where you’re saying things like “I can still do this” and “I’m all in for Chicago.” You mentioned that was the most authentic commercial you’ve done so far. Why?
DR: You’re just showing your fans with all of the support… just not wanting to let them down. I know that a lot of people are talking about me. There’s been a lot of criticism about me, about me playing, people are suggesting what type of player I’m gonna be, already assuming what type of player I’m gonna be. Well how do they know if I don’t know yet? It’s kinda crazy hearing that but at the same time, it drives me as a player, and it drives me as a person to not be like them people, not to be so judgmental.
You’ve been working out with people like Kevin Love and Kevin Durant and yet you’re saying you’re not sure how you will stack up to other players with all of your added muscle. Have you been comparing how you’re looking against them?
DR: I wouldn’t say that. I think we’re all competing when we train together. We push each other because you can just see how the workout goes. Rob (McClanaghan) actually said something after the first workout when me, Kevin Love and KD was actually working out. The first time we worked out together was in L.A. and he was just saying how when we’re tired, the other person will push the other person just seeing how hard they’re going so as a basketball player, I think you need that. I need that, especially coming back from an injury and just getting back to playing basketball where I know I’m gonna be good but just practicing with them guys and just playing with them, I think it’s gonna help my game a lot.
Have you always played with NBA players over the summer or was this your first time?
DR: No, I think last year I worked out with KD a little bit. But the regular people, the people I work out with almost every day while I’m out there is Kevin Love and (Russell) Westbrook.
You said you don’t even know what type of player you’re gonna be based on all the training. How hard is it, or how long will it take you to find that balance where you’re not trying to do too much on the court and you kind of know where you stand and what you’re able to do out there?
DR: I don’t know. I said previously it could take one game, five games, 10 games. Who knows? That’s why my teammates are there. They’ve been playing basketball for a long time, they missed a whole year without me. They learned how to win games without me. You had players like Joakim Noah that’s playing through injuries. Luol (Deng) had to get a spinal tap. Players like that that’s doing everything they have to do to get us into a great position and for me to come back to a team like that that’s learning how to win games, missed me for a whole year and just getting adjusted to those players and getting adjusted to the game, I think we have the right group for that.
You’re at the end now but when you get in that position where your life is sort of turned upside down the way it is, talk about the keys of keeping your head and coming through that.
DR: I think it wasn’t turned upside down. You just had people talking about you. For me, I could care less. They’re not my friends. I would be more hurt if my friends talk about me or something like that but for someone I don’t know, for them to judge me on me, taking care of myself…
I just meant having basketball taken away from you…
DR: Oh, you’re talking about basketball? It’s devastating but I took it as a blessing. God does everything for a reason. He makes no mistakes so with me knowing that, he did it for a reason. This reason could be me hanging with my son a little bit more, which NBA players don’t get the opportunity to. And I took it as a positive where I get a whole year of training.
What do you think?
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