Derrick Rose turned 37 on October 4, and fans across the world made sure to celebrate the youngest MVP in NBA history. Social media lit up with tributes, while the Detroit Pistons shared a classic clip of Rose saying, “Excuse my English, but I was born to do this s—.” And honestly, he wasn’t lying. Every twist and turn of his career proves exactly that. And on this special day, even a New York Knicks star couldn’t resist showing love to the legend.

Jalen Brunson was thrown into a fun round of rapid-fire questions, pick your favorites, no time to think. When it came down to choosing between Derrick Rose, Allen Iverson, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry, Brunson didn’t hesitate; he went with D-Rose. His reasoning? “Luka’s still playing.”

Sure, fair point. But when you skip legends like AI and Harden to pick Rose, it’s more than logic. It’s admiration. We get it, Jalen, just admit it, you’ve always had a soft spot for Derrick Rose, and this isn’t the first time you’ve shown it.

When the Knicks headed to Chicago in January for what was dubbed Derrick Rose Day, it felt more like a homecoming celebration than a regular-season game. The United Center crowd buzzed with nostalgia, honoring the Chicago native who had once carried the Bulls on his back. For Jalen Brunson, though, the night hit differently.

Earlier that year, he had already thanked Rose for helping him “bloom” as a New York Knick and then standing on the same floor where Rose made history, Brunson couldn’t hide how much his mentor meant to him. “I couldn’t put it into words,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “I’m so thankful to have him as a role model, as a mentor. That’s my man, and I love him to death.”

Their connection runs deeper than most fans realize. Long before Brunson became the Knicks’ leader, he was just a Chicago kid hanging around Bulls practices while his dad, Rick Brunson, worked as an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau. That’s where young Jalen first crossed paths with D-Rose.

Years later, the two reunited in New York under the same Thibodeau system, with Rose quietly guiding Brunson through the madness of the Garden spotlight. Even when Rose’s minutes dropped, his presence never did, and Brunson soaked up every bit of that experience.

Funny enough, Rose saw all this coming. In 2022, just before the Knicks’ season opened in Memphis, he told reporters that Brunson’s basketball IQ was “through the roof.” He remembered how people doubted Brunson’s athleticism, saying he wasn’t “jumping through the roof” or built like a freak athlete. Rose just laughed it off. “Like, bruh, he’s a hooper,” he said. “He’ll find a way to get the job done.”

And now, Jalen Brunson’s still doing what he does best—getting buckets. During the Knicks’ preseason game against the 76ers in Abu Dhabi, he dropped 14 points in just 17 minutes. The Knicks took the 113-104 win to stay unbeaten in preseason play. But let’s look at the stats of the players he snubbed. 

A statistical comparison of Brunson with players he snubbed

When Jalen Brunson picked Derrick Rose over big names like Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Russell Westbrook, fans did a double-take. Statistically, we can have a look at their stats individually (as per Land of Basketball):

Jalen Brunson is really good at scoring and passing, and shoots the ball efficiently. He scores almost as much compared to Curry, Luka, and Westbrook, but has fewer rebounds and significant awards. Curry is better at shooting, Luka grabs more boards and makes more assists, and Westbrook has bigger career numbers. But Jalen is consistent, innovative, and can hang with the best. He just hasn’t collected as many trophies yet.

Comparing Jalen Brunson to legends like Allen Iverson and James Harden isn’t fair since Jalen is still building his career. But if we look at scoring numbers, Iverson clearly has the edge. Over 14 NBA seasons, Iverson averaged 26.7 points per game, while Jalen has averaged 18.1 in his 7 seasons. In total points, Iverson scored way more — 24,368 points than Jalen’s 8,821. So in terms of pure scoring, Iverson outshines Jalen, but Jalen is still growing and putting up solid numbers.