He Totally Rose To The Occasion

I know what you're thinking. This guy Steve Rubin, he throws handbooks at me, dating questions & answers, references to snowballs, v-neck shirts, he even shares stories about ostrich burgers and prune hamantashen! What is he going to come up with next?

Well once again, I'm going to switch it up on you. Today has nothing to do with me.

It's about a young man who is only 20 years old and leads a lifestyle to which you or I couldn't possibly relate.

Think for a second. Do you remember what YOUR life was like at the tender age of 20?

I was reminded this past Saturday afternoon. New York was blessed with sunshine and 70 degree weather and I spent the day laying out at the park while relaxing outside with a few beers. It was great, I felt like I didn't have a care in the world... like I had no responsibilities.

It felt exactly like I was 20 years old again.

But this young man's life is exceptional. He certainly felt the heat this weekend, only it wasn't from the sun.

That's right, this Saturday afternoon, Derrick Rose spent his day fighting to the death against men nearly twice his age. He plays the pivotal position of point guard for the Chicago Bulls. This means that EVERY play revolves around his decisions. He's the quarterback. Rose is also one of the youngest and least experienced members on the team that he leads.

Even as a rookie, he is expected to make shit happen (Excuse the language but "make stuff happen" just doesn't pack the same punch).

If you've ever watched He Got Game by Spike Lee, then you've seen another NBA player, Ray Allen, and his incredible acting performance (I may be exaggerating his acting ability because he's one of my favorite athletes).

Anyway, while I might watch Ray on TV and am generally starstruck by his incredible talent, Derrick Rose had the task of competing against him Saturday in front of a nationally televised, sold out and extremely hostile Boston arena.

Again, Rose is 20 years old...

Was he the least bit phased? Please... Ain't no thing for my man Derrick Rose.

(Random tidbit - there's an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Uncle Phil randomly adopts a British accent whenever he speaks to an English person. I think I just realized that I do the equivalent when discussing Hip Hop and basketball.)

The results speak for themselves. Typically the FIRST playoff game for an athlete (especially a rookie) is a terrifying experience, filled with lessons to be learned. Rose, however, threw the weight on his shoulders and secured the upset victory for his team. He was cool, calm and collected the entire way, while playing out of his mind.

It was nuts! It was "Greatness". It was Sprezzatura.

Take a lesson from D Rose and go make shit happen... By any means necessary!