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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

February 14, 2009

Derrick Rose

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

DERRICK ROSE: It was amazing. This whole experience being here, I never thought that I would be playing in the All-Star Weekend or being a part of it.
When you think about playing in the NBA, you think about playing the game but never attending the All-Star Weekend.

Q. You talked about how you were fatigued, got your legs back tonight?
DERRICK ROSE: Yeah, got a little rest last night, hanging out with the family and got some sleep.

Q. Did you know you had won, is that why you dunked that last ball?
DERRICK ROSE: Always see D. Williams doing it at the end.

Q. Had you planned a dunk for the end?
DERRICK ROSE: Yeah, I knew that I was going to dunk it backwards.

Q. Are you naming your dunks yet?
DERRICK ROSE: No, not yet. Never will. Probably won't see me dunk for two more months.

Q. How much does being a part of these two events in the All-Star Weekend whet your appetite to be part of the regular game next year?
DERRICK ROSE: Oh, man, I really can't wait. Of course the season isn't over with, but next year -- this summer I'll work harder, work on my weaknesses and just go hard throughout the whole summer, because playing in the big game is real important to me.
One day I wish that I could be playing in it.

Q. With your dunk at the end, you weren't making a statement to get into the dunk contest next year?
DERRICK ROSE: No, no, no, no. I told you, I'm not creative at all.

Q. You made it look easy. What was the most difficult part of the course for you?
DERRICK ROSE: The bounce pass (smiling). The bounce pass, I knew when I got those two in, the crowd got to me, came short on my jump shots. I was scared a little bit.
But the bounce pass was the hardest thing.

Q. Derrick, what does this mean to you to win this event?
DERRICK ROSE: It means a lot. It means that people know me, little kids are out there watching me, in Phoenix a little bit more, worldwide. I'm part of history with some of the greatest players in the league that have won this award.
And I'm just happy.

Q. As a contest winner, you separated yourself from the passes. All the other guys had some difficulty with the passes. It seemed like you made most of the passes. Were they all bad passes?
DERRICK ROSE: Not at all. I just try to key in a little bit more and follow through on my bounce pass and the passes period.

Q. How much were you able to practice at all, in particular on this court?
DERRICK ROSE: We came in this afternoon, practiced for about 10, 15 minutes. Came back out here before the game started, practiced for about three minutes. I will say 20 minutes.

Q. When you were running through the course, at least for us watching it, it seemed like you were going half speed or three-quarter speed. If someone sees you every day, you are pretty quick. Was that a conscious decision to take your time and go through it without really going full out?
DERRICK ROSE: Yeah, I wanted to take my time, make sure I didn't trip out there because those are sharp turns. I don't want to fall on TV. In Chicago they would make a joke of it.

Q. If you could kind of summarize the great season that you're having. Some people say the point guard position is the toughest to learn in basketball, but you've come in right away and adjusted so quickly. What has been the key to that do you think for you?
DERRICK ROSE: Just my coaching staff, they have been helping me, almost everyone one on my team, even if they are not guards, they tell me little things and I just key in on them so I won't make the same mistake over and over again.

Q. What do you think when people say you are a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year at this point in the season?
DERRICK ROSE: It is just an award. I will only get it if I'm winning. I can't win it if I'm not winning.

Q. Given the stage where you are, were you nervous coming in? Were you thinking about it much, the contest, doing an individual thing in front of a whole stadium which in basketball you are usually not doing?
DERRICK ROSE: Super nervous. When you go out there, probably in the back I was kind of calm. But being on stage and being nervous, watching the other people go, when it is your time, you are super nervous out there.

Q. Is it fair to say that you are now officially the most skilled player in the NBA?
DERRICK ROSE: No, no, no, no, not at all. I still have to learn. I still have more practices to do and years to go.

Q. What are you going to do with the trophy?
DERRICK ROSE: Give it to my mom. She will probably cry over it or something like that if I tried to keep it, so I will give it to her. And she will put it in the basement.

Q. That's a pretty-good sized trophy. Did you think it would be so nice?
DERRICK ROSE: This is my first time looking at it. I'm happy that I got it.

End of FastScripts

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