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The NBA's Youngest MVP Announces Partnership With High School In Chicago

Shandel Richardson

May 4, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; NBA commissioner David Stern (left) presents the MVP trophy to Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (right) before game two of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images
May 4, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; NBA commissioner David Stern (left) presents the MVP trophy to Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (right) before game two of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images / Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images
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Derrick Rose is arguably the most influential NBA player from the city of Chicago.

Sure, there is Isiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Nick Anderson, Anthony Davis and others but no one connects to the city like Rose. He starred at Simeon High School before playing one season at Memphis and becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft.

His loyalty to the hometown is why he made Simeon the first "Rose" school under the adidas brand. The shoe company announced the news in an Instagram post Saturday. In October of 2011, Rose signed a 14-year, $190 million contract with adidas.

"Derrick Rose’s journey began in high school at Simeon Career Academy, where he built the foundation for his career," the post read. "His Simeon experience laid the groundwork for the legacy he continues to build. Together, we’re proud to announce Simeon as the first Rose school, continuing our mission to inspire and create opportunities for the next generation."

Rose became the NBA's youngest MVP at 22 years old and six months when he led the Chicago Bulls to the No. 1 seed in the 2011 Eastern Conference playoffs. He bested the likes of LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.

The Bulls lost to James and the Miami Heat in the conference finals. Rose's promising career was slowed after a knee injury the following season in the playoffs. Still, he remains one of the league's biggest what-ifs if injuries did not limit him.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com