USA select team learning expierence for rose, also talks about del negro, espys, offseason plans Options

[DutheDoduhon21]

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/rose_peace_080728.html

Bulls rookie Derrick Rose joined other NBA players to participate in the seventh annual Play for Peace basketball clinic at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine on Monday afternoon.

The players were welcomed by 160 Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, and American youth participating in the Camp’s second session. The event was organized by Arn Tellem, agent for the participating players. The players worked with the campers on basketball fundamentals and teamwork drills that helped the teens understand the value of cooperation.

During a break in the action, Bulls.com caught up with Rose to discuss his time on the USA Select Team, how he feels physically, and having an eventual impact in the Chicagoland community.

On playing with the USA Basketball Select Team in Las Vegas:
“Just to be able to walk out on the court with some of those guys and listen to what they were saying was great. To play against them and be around them, I think it helped me continue to mature as a basketball player and it raised my IQ. It was just a short period of time, but I’m happy I had the opportunity and I’m thankful they invited me.”

On what he learned and how the experience benefitted him:
“I learned a lot on and off the court from those guys. You can talk to them after practice about certain things, but you learn in a different way when you are playing. You know that the things they tell you are things that work because of their track records.”

On how he played against the USA Senior National Team:
“I think I played well. I thought everybody on our team played well and we just competed. I did my best to play my game and hopefully show that I belonged on that floor. I’m nowhere as good as any of those guys yet, but hopefully by the time the season starts, I’ll have worked to get closer to realizing that kind of potential.”

On Bulls Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, who was with Rose in Las Vegas:
“He’s a really nice guy, but he’s also not afraid to tell you the truth. He’s a caring person who really knows his stuff. I can’t wait to play for him. We didn’t talk about the game all that much; we were just trying to get to know each other. I’m sure once we are back in Chicago, we’ll sit down and talk about more specifics.”

On how his knee feels:
“I’m not having any problems at all. I’ve been getting treatment for it every morning and it’s responded well. I was never really worried about it. I’ve played through it before, but in summer league, they told me if it was hurting at all to not try and force it. I didn’t want to sit out, but it was probably the best thing.”

On the Play for Peace basketball clinic:
“It’s been fun. We’ve just been playing basketball and talking about teamwork. It’s a pretty diverse group of people here so it’s not like a regular camp. I’m working with guys like Russell Westbrook, Anthony Randolph, D.J. Augustin and the Lopez twins. I know a lot of those guys from working out in L.A. together, so we’re kind of used to each other and it’s been fun.”

On having an impact in the Chicagoland community:
“I hope that I can be huge in the community. I’d like to have a really big impact there. If I can come in and work on getting a large fan base, I feel like I can make a difference.”

On attending the ESPY Awards:
“It was crazy. Just going there was wild. I had so much fun seeing all the people who were there; people you normally only see on TV. But meeting the guys on the USA team was what really impressed me. It was the first time I met Kobe. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him much, but I paid close attention to almost everything he did. It’s unbelievable the things that he does and what he’s capable of doing.”

On his plan for the remainder of the summer:
“I’ll be in L.A. for awhile longer working on my all-around game. I want to improve my shooting, passing, everything. It’s a lot of Arn Tellem’s clients who are out there with me and hopefully they’ll have me ready for camp in the fall.”

[SoxFan1]

On how his knee feels:
“I’m not having any problems at all. I’ve been getting treatment for it every morning and it’s responded well. I was never really worried about it. I’ve played through it before, but in summer league, they told me if it was hurting at all to not try and force it. I didn’t want to sit out, but it was probably the best thing.”

Thats all I care about.