"Nothing like having a GREAT team": Derrick Rose compares life to a game of chess in latest IG story

Derrick Rose’s NBA journey was filled with highs and lows, and now that he’s enjoying retirement, he took a moment to share some wisdom. On his Instagram Stories, Rose compared life to chess, where each piece has a unique role to play.

In his post, he underscored the importance of having honest and supportive people around. A chess lover, Rose selected as a backdrop for his story a famous photo of an outside chess game played on the Uritsky Square in Leningrad back in 1924 (now known as Palace Square in St. Petersburg). The game was played on July 20, the same day the FIDE World Chess Federation came into being.

“Its nothing like having a GREAT team. People telling you their honest opinion. So you got where you at with no help huh??? What about the people that showed you unconditional love, loyalty… oh you walked away becuz you couldn’t stand the truth. Man. Able. Noble,” he wrote.

Derrick Rose's Instagram story

Rose’s career had its share of lessons — from winning MVP in 2010-11 to suffering devastating injuries that altered his trajectory.

Despite several setbacks, he carved out a 15-year NBA career that included stops in New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit and Memphis after his iconic run with the Chicago Bulls, who will retire his jersey next season.

Derrick Rose discusses retirement, hints at upcoming chess-related plans

Now in retirement, Derrick Rose has plenty of paths to explore. In a January interview with SLAM, he revealed he’s been contemplating a career in film, whether as a director or a producer. He also shared he’s been deep into chess lately and has big plans on the horizon.

“It’s a lot to do with that camera right there,” he said (per SLAM). “Figuring out if I want to be a director or producer, figuring out the difference between the two, because I always thought that they were the same."

"But I feel like I’m heading toward the director side, really catching the eye. I feel like I’ve put in the work, I’ve put in tens of thousands of hours in watching documentaries and films, weird docs and great docs.”

He added that stepping behind the camera and voicing his creative vision would be his biggest challenge. But beyond film, Rose also teased an upcoming chess-related venture.

“I’ve also been playing a lot of chess and hopefully somewhere down the line within the next couple of weeks, I’ll ink a chess deal (and) you’ll be hearing about it pretty soon.”

One of the ideas Derrick Rose has been floating is a new chess tournament called "Chesstival," with a six-figure prize pool.