Poster

Farewell To A Legend

Goodbye NBA, Hello China

There are times in life that a new road presents itself and it appears this time has come for me now. I am so proud of what I have accomplished these past 15 years playing in the NBA. It was a dream entering the league as I just turned 18 years old. I worked hard and poured my heart and soul into this game. I consider myself a student of the game as I have watched, studied and played with and against the best players in the world. 

The NBA was my University and I learned so much. The gratitude I feel is really immeasurable. I have experienced the best moments a player can experience and have had some dark ones too. Both equally important in helping shape me into the man I am today.

As I leave the league for now, there have been so many profound people who inspired me along my way. I have to say thank you for guiding me and having an enormous influence on the way I played basketball. Isaiah Thomas, Rich Devos, Leslie Alexander and John Gabriel, you believed in me and I thank you. Jeff Van Gundy, you exemplified the brilliance of what a great coach is. Steven A. Smith, you gave us players a voice and for that I thank you. Doug Christy, Charles Oakley, Dee Brown, Mugsy Bogues, Antonio Davis, Dell Curry, Kevin Willis, you all showed a young kid from Auburndale Florida how to be a better player. Kobe, you made me work harder and it was an honor to play against you. And Yao, we shared an experience together that will always be with me, thank you. Sonny & Pam Vaccarro showed me how there is loyalty and genuine friendship in this business. Arn Tellem and Tim Hoy, 15 years and you are still my agents. Thank you for guiding me throughout my career. 

When all is said and done, there is so many that made an impact on my life. I am one blessed man to have the love and never ending support of my wife CleRenda and the best 4 kids a man can ask for. But most important, I give glory and thanks to God. It is thru Him that I have been so blessed and I am forever thankful.

As I enter this next chapter, I am excited to play for Qingdao Eagles in China. I have been to China several times in the last few years and I love the people and the country. It will be an honor to play for them. Thank you to every fan that has followed me and believed in me. Injuries and all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I am proud of the mark I left on this game and am grateful to have been a part this league. It was a dream to play in front of all of you, each night, in every stadium. 

Thank you.

Tmac

Always A Fire

Salute to Jones, truly an inspiration!

Kevin Hart Got Soul

J.Cole #GetFree

BTW yesterday marked 1yr since he blessed us w/ his debut album, ColeWorld: The Sideline Story. Moved 217,000 units in his first week. 

Kevin Hart: One Man ARMY

Went through Meek's entire crew!

Louis CK - Being White

adidas Basketball: The Return of D Rose TV Commercial -- Wake Up

adidas Basketball: The Return of D Rose: Episode 3 - FOCUS

Hey, Black Child

Hey Black Child
Do you know who you are
Who you really are
Do you know you can be
What you want to be
If you try to be
What you can be

Hey Black Child
Do you know where you are going
Where you're really going
Do you know you can learn
What you want to learn
If you try to learn
What you can learn

Hey Black Child
Do you know you are strong
I mean really strong
Do you know you can do
What you want to do
If you try to do
What you can do

Hey Black Child
Be what you can be
Learn what you must learn
Do what you can do
And tomorrow your nation
Will be what you what it to be

~ Countee Cullen

Venom

Home

Wherever I go I always have my city on my back and in my heart. But lately it's been on my mind awfully a lot. When I look back on my childhood and teenage years so many great things come to mind: Family, HS, Bud Billiken Parade, The Magnificent Mile, The "L", Harold's, Cottage Grove, balling at Harold Washington park from sun up till hours after the street lights came on (that was before they tore down the rims to only leave the youth to roam the streets after school). But most of all, it's the love. The love is incredible. Despite all the violence that's plaguing my city I still feel the love. The thing is, i'm away at school and I can't help but feel sort of disconnected from my city. Even though it's only 2 and a half hours away (2 if you're in a rush) I still feel a bit removed. I hardly ever watch the news but almost every time I view a post in regards to Chicago while i'm on FB or Twitter it's about violence, more specifically shootings, robberies, brutality and death. What's even worse is that our youth are the victims of violence and committing the crimes. That speaks volume about the way we raise and guide our children, the way we walk with our fellow brothers and sisters. We must do better. If the youth are our future, Chicago's tomorrow is looking ugly. I'm grateful to make it out the city and go on to pursue higher education and accomplish my goals. I wish the same for all of my fellow Chicagoans, not limited to us but also for my people all across the world that's aiming to conquer their endeavors. At the same time I shouldn't have any apprehension about my city, my Home. However, I know this feeling is only temporary. The storm will soon clear, the streets will be much safer, the city will make greater, better efforts to support our underprivileged families, parents/relatives/ friends will be positive role models and raise wonderful children, our teachers will be back in the classrooms and our students will be scholars. It's not a dream, and if it was, it would soon become a reality. Over the last two years I've been gradually working on a very rough blueprint of a organization I would like to form. It's a tutoring/recruiting service aimed to support and help student-athletes become scholar athletes. Enabling them to excel in the classrooms, with their respective sport, and in life. I've been slacking on my plan lately but I'm getting back on track. This semester there will be much progress made. I even started a little piggy bank for it, it's a shoe box (I love sneakers), S/O to Nike! But one thing's for certain, when it's all said and done it will be truly something special, and what better place to start my vision, my creation, than Home...



Much love to Drose, a strong advocate of the city, great baller, and a even better person. Wish you a speedy and healthy recovery. We need you, in more ways than one.

Love.

Pooh

Neal Brennan on Dave Chapelle

Determination

The past was only the beginning...