Derrick Rose is boring as hell.
He's great on the court, yes, and has room to get even better. But listening to the man talk is like taking Ambien.
Showing absolutely zero emotion at being named NBA rookie of the year on Wednesday, Rose thanked everyone in his characteristic monotone voice.
"I would like to thank, um, some people, um, thank you" was pretty much all he said.
At the news conference, NBA officials passed it off as Rose's humility. But, really, thousands of kids dream of this moment and strive their whole lives to get there. Meanwhile, Rose can't even crack a smile.
Why is it that so many pro athletes get in front of a camera and start talking like a robot? Is it the years of honing the focused execution of their game that leaves their minds unable to connect with other people? Some psych grad student should really look into this.
Reporters were finally able to get something of a response out of Rose during the Q&A, while he was talking about his 30-year-old brother. Rose is 20, and he seems to find his early success somewhat amusing. But he said his family will yell at him, and his brothers may hit him if he thinks too much of himself. Maybe that's the source of his overwhelmingly dull public demeanor.
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We're not asking for attitude, Derrick. Just a little human emotion. Smile once in a while and let us know there's a person in there.
And congrats on the title.