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There may not be a more unfiltered and passionate NBA player than Chicago Bulls standout point guard Derrick Rose (pictured). Hailing from the tough Englewood neighborhood, where many young Black men have perished due to gang violence, Rose remains a humble individual despite his lofty achievements. During an Adidas product launch that doubled as an inside peek to Rose getting ready to make his return to the court, the Windy City native displayed raw emotion as he was introduced during the event.

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Rose, weeks shy of his 24th birthday, tore his ACL in game 1 of the playoffs between his Bulls squad and the  Philadelphia 76ers, who went on to win the series. As he prepares his body for a return for the upcoming season, although he’ll miss some games early on, Rose appears to be on the road to recovery. During the event, a moving promotional trailer highlighting the grueling workouts Rose is undergoing played in the background. As the event’s host turned to the player to ask him how all the adoration affects him and announcing the new “D Rose 3” shoe, Rose became choked up but not without getting his words out.

Derrick Rose at the launch event:

It’s truly a blessing, man. With all of this stuff that’s going on in this city, a kid from Englewood got something positive going on. That makes me feel so good, man. This shoe is great, all this is great. But this, I can’t explain this…I can’t.  I went through so much. To have like true fans, that means a lot to me. And I know it means a lot to my family, because we ain’t supposed to be here …at all. But God made a way. This is truly unreal.

Although trolls on social media are giving the NBA All-Star a hard time for showing emotion, the impetus behind Rose’s words is enough to move any person to tears. Chicago streets are a war zone for young Black boys, many who idolize Rose and see him as one of their own. Rose should be saluted for showing concerns for those in his city, considering he’s no longer plagued by the dangers of the streets any longer.

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