All About the Ultra Gent: Jalen Rose

You don’t have to be a basketball fan to know who Jalen Rose is. The 6'7, 220 lb gentle giant hails from Detroit, Michigan, this first round draft pick is more than just your average athlete. Having been mentioned in Black Enterprise magazine besides Oprah and Bob Johnson for his philanthropic efforts, Rose has established himself as a man who sees the necessity in giving back.

Jalen Rose was born January 30, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan to Miss Jeannie. Rose's biological father, Jimmy Walker was a former #1 overall pick who started in the backcourt alongside Jerry West in an NBA All-Star game at one point in his career. Walker died in July 2007 of lung cancer. Although Rose never met his father in person, the two spoke several times via telephone prior to Walker succumbing to Lung Cancer.

The Jalen Rose foundation is Rose' heart and soul. The program was founded by Rose to give back to the youth within his hometown of Detroit. So far his foundation has assisted 37 youth within the Detroit community as well as money to fund the Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital in The Republic of the Congo. Rose’s alma mater, The University of Michigan, has even established a full scholarship that is awarded to one student annually for the Jalen Rose foundation.

“Michigan has one of the lowest graduation rates in the nation. Our youth today need more guidance and we stress and influence education heavily,” Rose explains. It’s very rare that you see an athlete as humble and motivated to give back to the youth.

Rose was reluctant to speak out about his foundation to ensure that his fame didn’t overshadow the real issues within the community.

“Philanthropy came from the heart. I didn’t speak about it at first, but if me talking about my foundation can help fund a mentor and educate our youth then I am more than willing to help,” Rose says. Rose has also used his foundation to mentor youth and give young ballers an opportunity to take it to the next level. Team Michigan is a 19 and under league designed to give youth the opportunity for higher level competition.

“Leadership does not come with fortune and fame. Leaderships can come out through anyone. I hope that anyone in my shoes would do it if they had the opportunity.”

Rose has played for six different NBA teams, forging a solid pro career after skipping his senior season at Michigan. A left-handed player, Rose was known to have a smooth and versatile offensive game. Jalen was particularly gifted as a scorer from the perimeter or the post, capable of putting up 20 points most any night.



Jalen Rose Likes:
Pick one: Ludacris or Fabolous?
ROSE: "Ludacris."

Cats or dogs?
ROSE: "Dogs. I’ve got a 10-week-old boxer named Cassius. I call him Cash for short."

Bernie Mac or Cedric the Entertainer?
ROSE: "Wow! Toss up. Those are both my boys."

Is there someone you’d like to meet?
ROSE: "I’d like to meet J-Lo. And I haven’t met Janet Jackson. I used to like Janet as a child.
...My all-time is Halle Berry. She’s the reason I’m not married. I’m holding out trying to find her clone."

What's in Jalen Rose' IPOD
Your Love is King - Sade
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder
Shining Star - EWF
Successful - Drake
Comfortable - Lil' Wayne

Jalen Rose Dons a Restaurant Critic Hat

Jalen Rose was asked to add to his NBA player, ESPN analyst titles by donning a restaurant critic hat and share a few of his favorite food finds from around the nation. The 13-year NBA veteran is now an ESPN analyst and as busy as that keeps him, in his free time he can be found blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and YouTube-ing. Take it away, Jalen!

"I wouldn’t consider myself a food critic, but during my years as a professional basketball player, I was lucky to travel the country and eat in many fine establishments. Below is a list of my Fab Five Foods and where you can find them. All of these dishes are original — I haven’t found another restaurant that prepares these items in the same way. If you get a chance to check them out, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:"

1. Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Chicago, IL) – Double Baked Potato… so good it’s bang is worth every buck – this is one big spud!

2. Philippe (Upper East Side New York, NY) – Maine Lobster Satay… lobster is my favorite dish and this is my favorite lobster on a stick… not only is the satay great, the peanut sauce is so good that you can almost drink it by itself!

3. Crustacean (Beverly Hills, CA) – Roasted Crab – Cracked Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab with a side of AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles… order this crab out of the shell and mix it with the noodles and you’ll enjoy one of the most popular meals among the Hollywood celebs!

4. Sweet Water Tavern (Detroit, MI) – Jumbo Fried Shrimp…. This is my hometown favorite and I can eat more than one order!

5. The Ritz Carlton (Coconut Grove, FL) – Grilled Chicken Wings… this is the only spot I’ve found that grills wings and they’re delicious!

Check out Alicia Cruz' commentary on Jalen Rose' "Cash Rules Everything Around Jalen Rose...Except Jalen Rose..." HERE