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TMS
Posts: 60684
Alba Posts: 617
Joined: 5/11/2004
Member: #674
USA
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http://www.nj.com/knicks/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1161669464221300.xml&coll=1 Knicks: Rose supports his team and youth
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff
NEW YORK -- Jalen Rose went to the Boys Club of New York in East Harlem yesterday with a check for $10,000 as part of his Giving Back Fund to support academic programs.
The deal is that for the last five years Rose has donated $50 for every assist he hands out on the court, which in good years has meant more than $20,000 in donations to selected charities in the cities for which he plays.
He started the program when he was a point guard for the Pacers under then head coach Isiah Thomas, when he dished out as many as 435 assists in 2000-01 -- a lot of dimes. But last season Rose had just 181 assists, only 68 of which came as a Knick.
"I need more assists," he said after greeting the kids.
The question is, how will he get them with the Knicks? Even though he's playing for the same coach again, this isn't the 28-year-old Rose playing point guard anymore. He's 33 now, entering his 13th NBA season, and if preseason is any indicator, Rose is not going to feature in Thomas's regular rotation, a situation many observers feel will eventually eat away at this proud and competitive athlete.
Even Thomas acknowledged recently that the old Rose used to complain if the ball wasn't in his hands. But so far the old veteran, who spoke to a captivated group of kids here about the meaning of leadership, is willing to give Thomas a chance.
"It's all about the team and health," he said. "After you've been around the block, you understand it's not just about you anymore. If we're not getting it done on the court, then my individual production doesn't mean anything. It's about winning.
"Then we get into some big games, some playoff games, and that's when that experience comes in handy. That's when you dust out the old veteran and send him out there to get the team over the hump."
Rose, who is in the final year of his contract and will make $16.9 million this season, is adamant he will play four or five more years. But he sounded as if he was ready to accept that his role will be diminished.
"I had a few people come to me and ask, 'How come you're not taking any shots?'" he said. "Because it's not about me. The Knicks aren't about building around Jalen Rose. I'm not on the marquee, and I have the humility to understand that. I'm not one of those guys who is going to grow old and be grumpy."
But the Jalen Rose Foundation, and the Giving Back Fund are all about him. Rose spends real time with his various charities, and chooses the Academic All-Stars at the New York Boys and Girls Club because it helps kids who are struggling in school, or even dropping out all together, to get into prestigious prep schools and colleges.
It's a cause close to him because as a kid growing up in Detroit, he went to Boys and Girls Clubs, and he also takes great pride in his academic achievement. Over the spring and summer he earned his degree on-line from the University of Maryland. Most people know Rose as a member of Michigan's Fab Five, but now -- after 5 1/2 years of correspondence work to gain all the credits necessary to graduate -- he's a Terrapin, too.
"I know knowledge is power," he explained. "I want that piece of paper on the wall that I am proud of, that I went to the University of Michigan for three years in rain, sleet or snow. I was not only serious about being in the Fab Five, but I was serious about making the Dean's List for a semester. I was proud of that.
"That's what inspired me about this program. I was one of these kids. I appreciate what they're trying to accomplish. It's a cold world out there and it's a lot colder than it was when I was growing up." After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
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