by Jalen Rose
But even if not too many people thumb through stats or categorize players like that, there is another way I’ve carved out a legacy, in basketball and beyond, that I’m proud of. I don’t think my mom realized what she was starting when she decided to create a new name that winter night I was born, but she laid the groundwork for a phenomenon. I’m serious—I don’t use that word lightly. Remember I told you at the beginning of the book how my Uncle Len was surprised to hear a mom yelling for her son—“Jalen!”—in a mall in Detroit? Well, it went far beyond that mall, and far beyond Detroit. They’ve been tracking name data in the United States going back to 1880, and in the early 1990s, when the Fab Five hit, “Jalen” became the hottest name in history. No other name had a bigger jump in popularity, ever. Today, many people, former teammates of mine like Rick Brunson and Eddie Robinson, have sons named Jalen. Dr. J himself, Julius Erving, has a grandson named Jalen. People sometimes spell it with a y or other differences. Mike Miller has a daughter named Jaelyn. Of all the trends I follow, this one’s my favorite. Because when people name their kid after you, it’s not just that they like the sound of the name. It’s that they appreciate who that name is associated with, and what it represents.
As crazy as it might sound, I view that as a responsibility. To keep moving forward, to keep winning the game of life, to keep doing things that matter wherever the journey takes me. As a player, I was in the middle of a team that transformed basketball and its relationship to culture and society. With the microphone, I’m doing everything I can to transform how the media can change your perception of sports and of athletes. And we’re still only getting started with JRLA in Detroit. I’ve got other commitments I’m excited about as well. I’m an official ambassador now of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), working to assist current and former players in their lives after the game, and in serving communities. I’m also an ambassador for the American Federation for Children, and am on the board of directors of StudentsFirst, both of which are tied in to educational causes on a national level.
My goal—my vow—is never to change, and never to be ashamed of who I am, or who I was. If we went out to play pickup right now, believe me, I will talk trash the whole time, get in your head, do what I can to beat you. (Though—if you’ve noticed over the last two hundred pages—I won’t swear. My mom heard me swearing one night when she was at a game late in my career, and scolded me for it. So I made everything PG-rated from then on. She was right. No need to use bad words when the good ones give you plenty of material.)
I’m gonna keep talking about the Fab Five because I think our legacy is important, and what we stood for and represented was important. Nothing makes me prouder than to hear during the 2014 Final Four that the Kentucky players—with all freshmen in the starting five—were fans of the Fab Five, and had watched the documentary before the tournament. They weren’t even alive when we made our runs. But they recognized the roots of what they were accomplishing.
What’s next? Well, for one thing, I want that happy ending. Growing up in the hood, you don’t realize the kind of happy ending you deserve. I want to get married, I want to have more kids, and decades from now, I want to have grandkids. I want another generation to be part of the annual family reunions at my mom’s house every summer. Where my ninety-seven-year-old grandmother still makes sure everyone is doing the right thing. Where Uncle Len and Uncle Paramore still hold court—they’ve battled some health problems but are still two of the strongest men I know. Bill and Kev and Tam are there, too—with their own spouses and kids. Bill works at a bank, and he and his wife have twin daughters, Courtney and Chelsea. Kev’s retired from the service, with a big family, too. And Tam has two kids of her own, also. Everyone’s doing well. And when I look in the mirror, and see a kid who once looked up to gangsters like Butch Jones and the YBIs—I realize how lucky I am, and how badly I want that luck to continue.
What else? I’d love to run a team someday. Either in the NBA as a general manager, or in the college ranks coaching a program. And I also dream about becoming a minority owner of my hometown Pistons. We’ve seen a whole bunch of individuals in the media make the transition to those kinds of jobs, and we’ve seen them succeed. It’s a natural progression. In the pros, I know better than ever why teams win and why teams lose, and how good players become great, and how great players become legends. In college, I guarantee you there’d be no better recruiter—no one better to help these kids to deal with the difficulty of college basketball, the ridiculousness of the NCAA, and the unbelievable things that can happen when you dominate the game. I’ve talked to people out there, and they know I’m interested. So just be ready if it happens. I came up one step short of a title in both the pros and the NCAA. It would be a perfect reason to go back, and finish what I started.
Hey, doubt me if you want.
Because you know there’s nothing I love more than proving the doubters wrong.
THE TAO OF JALEN: A GUIDE TO WINNING THE GAME OF LIFE
1. Encourage your doubters. They don’t think you belong. Let that be the fuel that vaults you past them.
2. Do your research. It applies to trash-talking, and it applies to life. Nothing better than surprising someone about what you know. It’s a signal you have more surprises coming.
3. Play hard. Work harder. Champagning and campaigning is one of the world’s oldest and greatest pastimes. But the only players who matter are the ones who did more work than you think to get the table behind the velvet rope.
4. Speak up. Just because someone’s in charge doesn’t mean your job is to always listen to them. Be respectful, but smart challenges to authority earn you more respect than you might think.
5. Love life. It can be easy to focus on the things that frustrate you. But the blessings will get you up earlier in the morning, keep you going later at night, and always keep you on the lookout for more.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ll start out these acknowledgments by saying that this entire book is an acknowledgment. Every person mentioned on these pages played a role in the road I’ve traveled to this point. I have such tremendous gratitude for all of my family and friends—especially my brothers Bill and Kevin, and my sister Tammy. Thank you for the love, support, and game! I definitely can’t forget my Aunt Jackie, who was a teacher and stressed the importance of education and challenged me not to be a dumb jock.
Thank you to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…Psalm 23!
Endless love to my amazing children: LaDarius, Mariah, and Gracie. I have the best kids that any father could have. Your intelligence, hard work, and discipline are unmatched. Please keep God first and continue to sacrifice for your dreams. I love you! Special thanks also to Mauri, who is an amazing mom.
Next, Krissy. My queen, boss, and therapist. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and allowing me to be your Knight in Shining Armor.
I want to thank Aaron Cohen for making this book possible. Aaron and I first met in New York to discuss The Fab Five documentary in the fall of 2010. The connection was instant, and he became a huge part of the success of the film. Writing a book was a huge challenge, but Aaron was the perfect guy to help me tell my story. Big ups to AC.
I had always wanted to write a book, but Daniel Greenberg of LGR Literary was the guy to come up with the right pitch. He teamed up with Cait Hoyt and my guy Nick Khan at CAA, and we were on our way. Special shout-out to Nick, the best agent in the business.
Mary Choteborsky at Penguin Random House did an incredible job editing the book, along with assists from Nathan Roberson and Julia Elliott.
I’m truly grateful to have the best executive assistant and friend, Michelle Ruscitti-Miller, who has kept me on point for over a decade. And I can’t forget my business manager, David Bolno, and his NKSFB staff, who see to it that my dollars make sense. Teamwork is making dreams work!
Much love to David Jacoby and Bill Simmons for supporting the project, and of course, to Bill for writing the forewor
d—good luck at HBO!
And last but not least, you—the fans—for making Jalen one of the most popular names around the world. Thank you for supporting The Rose That Grew from Concrete since day one. “I’m waaay up. I feel BLESSED” (Big Sean).
