Rose doesn't see any problem playing for hometown team

Some people assume playing for his hometown team would be a headache for Derrick Rose.

So many distractions, too many friends who want tickets or favors, not to mention the pressure of trying to lift the Bulls to greater heights.

To Rose himself, hearing the Bulls call his name with the first pick of next Thursday's NBA draft would be the impossible dream come true.

Watching the Bulls beat 1.7 percent odds to win the May 20 draft lottery, Rose said he "was just looking at the TV like, 'This can't be true.' All of us were surprised."

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He immediately thought of another NBA star who grew up in Akron, Ohio, and succeeded in turning around the local NBA franchise.

"I thought LeBron James was the luckiest person in the world to get to play in his home city," Rose told a mass of reporters outside the Berto Center on Thursday. "Now I have that chance. I'm just hoping that they pick me."

The 6-foot-2 point guard from Memphis finished his two-day meeting with the Bulls by conducting a brief workout at the Berto Center. Like Kansas State forward Michael Beasley earlier in the week, Rose had no other players competing against him on the court.

Rose grew up on Chicago's South Side, in the Englewood neighborhood, and led Simeon High School to a pair of state championships. During Rose's one season in college, Memphis reached the NCAA title game and missed winning the championship by less than five seconds.

Rose described Englewood as a "typical bad neighborhood." He was able to steer clear of any serious trouble with help from a trio of father figures.

Rose has three older brothers -- Dwayne, Reggie and Alan -- who all loved basketball and were just a few years apart in age. Derrick, however, is 7 years younger than Alan.

The youngest brother started out tagging along with his older siblings. Then it became sort of the family project to help this basketball prodigy reach his potential.

"It was exciting going to the parks, watching them play, wishing that I could be them or be better than them," Rose said of his brothers. "Crying when they beat me in a game. Now I can just bully them on the court."

Reggie has become the family spokesman, and he was outside the Berto Center shortly after his brother concluded his media session.

"I was more of a shooter," Reggie said. "My oldest brother Dwayne was a dribbler and Alan was a jumper. We'd get (Derrick) out there and beat him up and do whatever we could do and it was like he took everything we could do and put it in one body.

"We just want him to fulfill his dreams. When his name is called, to see the tears come down his eyes and see my mom crying, I can't wait for that feeling."

Though he seemed reasonably comfortable during Thursday's crowded news conference, Rose's reputation for being quiet was confirmed.

"He's always been like that," Reggie said. "Friends will come over and see Derrick down in the basement with us. Derrick will be sitting in the back quiet and they'll be wondering, 'Is this really your brother?' We're like yeah. We say he can't talk until we talk."

But shouldn't a point guard be a vocal leader on the court? Well, Rose apparently made progress along those lines during his season in Memphis.

"Derrick was always able to lead without talking," Reggie Rose said. "That's what amazes me. I think when he made it to Memphis and he put more vocal into it, I think that made the Tigers just better than what they were."

Rose is being represented by former Bulls guard B.J. Armstrong, who spent a few years scouting for the Bulls before becoming an agent. Armstrong is working under the umbrella of powerful California-based agent Arn Tellem.

Rose said he was headed back to Los Angeles on Thursday night and had no plans yet to visit with Miami, owner of the No. 2 draft pick. That doesn't mean Rose is convinced the Bulls will select him, but it seems natural that the Heat would want to bring him to town.

"All I know is I'm here now," Rose said. "I'll probably go down there and work out. If not, too bad.

"I would love to play here. That's a dream come true, to get the Bulls back to where they're supposed to be, hopefully."