CEBU CITY–Derrick Rose, the youngest player to win an MVP in the NBA, got a rousing welcome during a two-day visit here.
The three-time NBA All-Star retired from the NBA nearly two years ago, but a packed SM Seaside City Cebu greeted him on Wednesday afternoon, August 26, as if he had never left.
Rose was showered with chants of “MVP! MVP!” during the “Rose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu” put up by ArenaPlus.
“I feel like I gotta have some type of Filipino in my blood somewhere,” Rose said. “There’s no way I could come over here and get this much love.”
The reception came on Rose’s fifth visit to the Philippines and his third as an ArenaPlus ambassador in less than a year, part of the brand’s continuing effort to bring major sports personalities and experiences closer to Filipino fans beyond Metro Manila.
“Derrick’s the youngest MVP in NBA history, and his story has inspired millions of fans around the world,” ArenaPlus Head Ethan William said in a pre-recorded message.
“We’re excited to bring him closer to his Filipino fans today because that’s what sports do—they bring people together and give us moments we remember long after the game’s over.”
“We want more fans across the Philippines to have moments like this, not just in Metro Manila,” he added. “Today, it’s Cebu’s turn.”
Rose made the moment more personal by giving the Cebuano crowd something of their own, drawing another roar when he called out, “Shagit ug kusog!” (“Make some noise!”)
Before Rose took the floor, four teams of influencers battled in 3×3 games, with representatives later earning the chance to go up against him in the “Shoot Like a Legend” challenge—a 30-second shooting contest from the free-throw line.
Rose quickly found his rhythm, scoring on 13 of 15 attempts in 30 seconds and offering Cebu a glimpse of the former No. 1 overall pick who won Rookie of the Year and made history in 2011 as the league’s youngest MVP at 22.
Before the event at SM Seaside, Rose
Before the event at Seaside, Rose also graced the ArenaPlus VIPs at the exclusive Champion’s Circle Appreciation Dinner at Shangri-La Mactan.
It was during the event when Rose put his superb footwork to a different test by gamely joining in on the traditional folk dance “tinikling”.(Calvin D. Cordova)
