Rose relates with Gilas return to World Cup

IF THERE is an NBA player who can relate to Gilas Pilipinas making it to the world championship, it has to be Derrick Rose.

The Chicago Bulls superstar was part of Team USA during the Fiba World Cup in 2010, when the Americans put on a dominating show to win the championship in Turkey. Rose, a season away from eventually becoming the youngest player to win the MVP trophy in the NBA, was a first-timer in Team USA.

“For someone who hasn’t played in the Olympics, that’s the closest thing you can get,” said Rose, who was in Manila recently for the last stop of his Adidas D Rose Asian tour.

Gilas Pilipinas will return to the World Cup after almost four decades and whoever makes the team will be a first-timer in basketball’s biggest stage.

And Rose knows how it feels when you’re finally there.

“The world championship is a big stage. It’s more competitive, more  intense,” said the new face of the Bulls franchise. “That’s where the fans are really into it. It’s a chance to cheer for their [country].”

To Gilas Pilipinas, Rose has this piece of advice: “Be ready; stay focused.

“It’s going to be a lot of people watching. It’s the first time [for the Philippines in the World Cup] in a long while, so everybody is going to be watching.

The current face of Adidas carries with him a heavy burden when the 2013 season rolls along: He will be the face of a franchise that has long been associated with Michael Jordan.

But Rose embraces the role with relish.

“It feels good,” he said. “It’s been a long time since the city of Chicago had something to cheer about.

“I think the fans and Chicago can relate to me because I work hard and there are a lot of hard working people in Chicago.”

The 6-foot-3 playmaker is also coming off a season that he spent on the bench because of a knee injury and he is eager to return to show that he will be a force to reckon with in the NBA.

“I think I’m going to come back a better player,” he said. “I just know that when I step on the court, the only thing that’s going to change is my confidence level. I know I’m going to be more confident about my craft.”

Rose spent three days in Manila, holding a clinic aside from promoting his line of Adidas shoes. It was the second Philippine visit for Rose, who was here previously with other NBA stars for a pair of exhibition games.