Tag: Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose calls for arrest of officers in Breonna Taylor shooting during NBA playoff broadcast

He spoke out on the air Wednesday night.

Despite sports continuing on Wednesday night, including Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, a Kentucky grand jury’s decision surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor was very much on the minds of athletes and commentators.

Many people in the sports world took to social media, in disbelief that just one officer was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment and that two other officers weren’t charged at all.

ESPN’s Jalen Rose was on the air during halftime of Game 4, and as their broadcast was going to commercial, he shouted, “it’d also be a great day to arrest the cops that murdered Breonna Taylor.”

Rose also spoke honestly before the game about his feelings and about how athletes might be feeling before playing in their sports with this on their minds:

“When Kyle Rittenhouse in Milwaukee, as a 17-year-old, kills two people and yet three cops aren’t directly charged for killing Breonna Taylor, it shows you how they feel about Black lives in America. So what I want to encourage people to do out there … my favorite sport actually is football. The important thing in that game is field position. So we are starting a game … it’s 400 years of slavery to 0. We know we’re not going to win, but we still got to continue to move the ball forward and put people behind you in a position to be successful.”

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Jalen Rose the latest to guarantee a Michigan victory over Ohio State

ESPN analyst and former Michigan guard Jalen Rose went boisterously on record to guarantee a Wolverine football win over Ohio State in 2020.

Ho-hum.

Talk the talk go ahead Michigan man. At some point, if you keep predicting a Wolverine victory over Ohio State in football, it’ll actually happen. Unfortunately for everything sucked into the Maize and Blue universe, everyone that’s guaranteed victory over the last eight years has been way off base.

We’ve had former Hiesman-winning cornerback Charles Woodson spout off and use the wrong date. And even a current player at the time in 2016, Karon Higden, try to fire up those winged helmets by guaranteeing victory in the midst of despairing times in Ann Arbor.

How’d that work out?

The latest is former Michigan guard and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose. On a segment on ESPN’s GetUp program, Rose was asked about The Game being moved to the middle of the year as opposed to the traditional last contest of the regular season.

Rose built up to a crescendo with a bold prediction.

“My reaction is that I’m trying to be at the game, socially distanced and all,” said Rose. “I’m trying to be there because this is going to be one of the first times in the last two decades that we actually beat Ohio State. So I need to be there — I need to be there.”

Mike Greenberg wasn’t going to let that go without presser further. He asked for clarity, and if Rose was truly making the call that Michigan would take down OSU on October 24.

“Of course, just think about what’s happening in our country right now Greenie,” Rose continued. “It’s the perfect time for a solar apocalypse to happen in Ann Arbor, and our players perform so very well regardless to where we play against the Buckeyes that (voice raising) we’re going to get a win this year. That’s right, I said it. Save this footage. Michigan will beat the Buckeyes in football this year.”

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We beg to differ. After all, the “solar apocalypse” happened when the program reached out to hire Jim Harbaugh. I mean, why else would the sun have not shined on the Michigan program since then?

Feel free to watch this crazy take for yourself by clicking on the below tweet shared by GetUp’s Twitter profile.

I have a feeling this footage is going to get saved alright, but not for the reason Rose hopes.

Jalen Rose: Michigan is ‘gonna win this year’ at Ohio State

Why the former Wolverines star expects the maize and blue to take down the scarlet and grey this season.

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Even the most ardent Michigan fans would be hesitant to pick the football team to beat rival Ohio State at this juncture. Of course, that’s the highest thing on the list for the maize and blue faithful, but the Wolverines haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2011 and have been blown out the last two seasons.

But Jalen Rose, a former Michigan basketball player, isn’t just any ordinary Michigan fan.

On the ESPN morning show Get Up!, Mike Greenberg asked Rose about the upcoming schedule, including the one-off change of U-M playing OSU on Oct. 24 rather at the end of the regular season, and Rose had an interesting response.

“I’m trying to be there, because this is gonna be one of the first times in the last two decades that we actually beat Ohio State,” Rose said. “So I need to be there! I need to be there!”

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Ok, we’re gonna need some kind of justification here.

“Just think about what’s happening in our country right now, Greeny: this is the perfect time for a solar apocalypse to happen in Ann Arbor and our players play so very well regardless of where we play against the Buckeyes,” Rose continued. “We’re gonna get a win this year! That’s right, I said it! Save this footage! Michigan will beat the Buckeyes in football this year!”

Certainly, it’s possible, but we have to see it happen before we predict anything of this nature.

As Rose’s cohost, Jacoby notes, the former Wolverines star predicting the Michigan football team to beat Ohio State is something of an annual tradition at this point.

They play games for a reason, and The Game will take place at Ohio Stadium on Oct. 24 per the revamped Big Ten schedule.

Watch below:

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LeBron James and Maverick Carter helping fund ‘More Than a Vote’ non-profit

LeBron James, Maverick Carter, and several other athletes are hoping to combat voter suppression and apathy among Black voters.

LeBron James has been using his massive platform and the incredible attention paid to him to call attention to social justice issues, racism, a lack of equity in education, as well as national politics. But now LeBron James, with the help of his friend Maverick Carter, as well as other major sports figures like ESPN’s Jalen Rose, Atlanta’s Trae Young, and the WNBA’s Skylar Diggins-Smith, are starting a non-profit organization aimed at helping Black Americans get the vote out in larger numbers, whether it’s combating voter suppression or apathy, according to Jonathan Martin of the New York Times.

“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” Mr. James told the Times. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”

According to the report, James and Carter are going to put up the initial funding for the non-profit, which will not be designed to help any single party but to inspire, educate, and empower Black voters. On Tuesday, James discussed the topic of voter suppression after voters in predominantly black neighborhoods were forced to wait in long lines to vote.

While it’s far from the first time LeBron has waded into politics, it’s the first time that LeBron and his business partners have created an organization for explicitly political reasons.

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Jalen Rose, Paul Pierce see Rockets as dangerous after NBA restart

“In a pickup game situation, Houston is going to be scary,” Pierce said regarding the NBA’s return after a hiatus of over four months.

Echoing Friday’s assessment by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, former NBA players and current analysts Jalen Rose and Paul Pierce each see the Houston Rockets as a dangerous team in the 2020 playoffs.

Both Rose and Pierce indicated that the unique timing of the 2020 postseason, which will occur shortly after a hiatus of more than four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could benefit the Rockets.

In a virtual version of ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Rose said:

I’m loving teams like the Celtics and the Rockets. Small ball, spread it out, and take advantage of the big guys that can’t score against little guys.

That’s really what it’s going to be. It’s going to be like AAU out there. These dudes have been off for months!

So if James Harden can get hot, and then Russ [Westbrook]… Don’t sleep on Houston in the West.

A few minutes later, Pierce followed up with a similar view:

In a pickup game situation, Houston is going to be scary. They’re going to be scary. If I had to put money on it, I wouldn’t bet Houston… but I feel them.

Rose also said he still views the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) and No. 2 Clippers (44-20) as “better” than the Rockets, who are 40-24 and tied for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference. However, the unique circumstances could boost Houston’s chances of an upset.

MacMullan’s case for Houston was largely built around the benefits of added rest for veterans like Harden, Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker, who have all played extensive minutes this season. She also referenced the team having more time to adapt to Mike D’Antoni’s smaller lineup after abruptly making the stylistic change in the middle of the season.

Other potential benefits to the Rockets might include:

  • Eric Gordon says he’s healthy for the first time all season after dealing with knee problems.
  • Harden appears to be in ideal shape, physically.
  • The rare opportunity to hold a full training camp just before the playoffs will allow D’Antoni to further integrate both the smaller system and new players after in-season changes.
  • The Rockets had lost four games out of their last five at the time of the season’s March 12 hiatus, and the long break should halt any negative momentum.
  • Though Houston is tied for No. 5 in the West, being a higher seed may not be as relevant in the 2020 playoffs, since all games will be played at a neutral site near Orlando and without fans.
  • After the trade of Clint Capela for Robert Covington, every player in the team’s projected closing lineup (Westbrook, Harden, Gordon, Covington, Tucker) is at least 29 years old. In theory, older rosters should benefit more from extended rest.

Even considering those angles, none of ESPN’s analysts pegged Houston as the championship frontrunner in the West. After all, some deference should be given to the fact that LeBron James and the Lakers outplayed Houston by nearly 10 games over the first 60+ games of the season.

But the long layoff and an effective season reset prior to the playoffs seems to offer a more plausible path. Considering where the Rockets were as a team when we last saw them in March, they’ll gladly take it.

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Listen to Jalen Rose’s powerful words on George Floyd’s death: ‘We’ve been screaming out for your assistance’

Rose spoke on Friday morning’s “Get Up!”

We included the clip from former NBA star and ESPN personality Jalen Rose on ESPN’s Friday edition of Get Up! in our roundup of how the sports world was reacting to the death of George Floyd and the protests that have since followed in Minnesota and around the country.

But they needed more of a spotlight — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James seemed to agree after he tweeted out Rose’s video on Friday — so we’re breaking it out here.

Rose had so much to say in just two minutes on the morning show, but I’d say the biggest message is this: “We need people who aren’t black, we need people who aren’t brown. When you know these things are happening in your society to have a voice, a legitimate one, lock and step with us, protest with us, post with us, not just when it’s convenient, when it can be uncomfortable.”

Watch below:

“The image of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee at a football game during the national anthem is the exact one that we see in Minnesota, when a guy was laying on the ground for over eight minutes, handcuffed, with a knee to his neck, and was murdered. Let’s start calling these things what they are. These are murderings. These are lynchings. These things have caused pain in our society, for our community, for hundreds of years. We’ve been screaming out for your assistance.”

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Reggie Miller didn’t want to participate in ‘The Last Dance’ because it was too painful

Jalen Rose said it was too painful to talk about.

The 1997-98 Indiana Pacers ended up playing a pretty crucial part in ESPN’s The Last Dance Michael Jordan documentary. They played the role of Eastern Conference foil to Jordan’s Bulls in episode 9.

The Pacers played them tough and pushed them to the brink in the conference finals. They played in a close, decisive game 7 to close out the series but the Bulls ultimately prevailed.

The most essential piece of that Pacers team was Reggie Miller and his shooting. Without him, the 1998 Pacers aren’t as good as they were and they don’t push the Bulls like they did. To tell the story of those Pacers and that team, you have to speak to Miller.

But the producers of The Last Dance almost didn’t. Not because they didn’t want him, but because Miller stood them up multiple times before he ultimately caved and participated in the documentary.

In the Jalen & Jacoby Finale recap, Jalen Rose talked about how Miller didn’t want to participate because it brought back too many painful memories.

“I was trying to initially get him to interview for this doc and he ain’t want to do it. It was too much pain.”

You can understand why Miller would want to skip this after watching the documentary. That Pacers team was loaded. Truth be told, they probably should’ve won the series. That was their best chance to go to the Finals and the Bulls snatched it right out of their hands. And now they want him to talk about it? Please.

I’ll tell you what — Miller is a better sport than me. Because, 22 years later, I’d still be too salty to bring it up again.

Spencer Dinwiddie says LeBron James ‘best athlete in NBA history, bar none’

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie took issue with some statements from ESPN’s Mike Wilbon that KD and LeBron wouldn’t dominate in the 80s.

Consider Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie the spokesman for the disrespect of current players from folks who think, in light of the new Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance,” that the best players of the here and now could not dominate in the 1980s and 90s.

At the end of the week, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, a Jordan confidant, and his partner Jalen Rose, who was part of the only team to push Jordan’s Bulls to a Game 7 in 1998, both suggested that not even LeBron James or Kevin Durant could be dominant players in the Jordan Era. Dinwiddie questioned their state and went on to discuss what make the players of today, including LeBron, so great.

Dinwiddie’s look is a lot more nuanced and holistic when it looking at the history of the game. And he brings up a rarely heard argument that Kareem has the GOAT basketball resume, but that Jordan had the more dominant peak. But it’s hard to disagree that when looking at the tape, there is no better athlete in the game’s history, or perhaps a greater basketball mind, than LeBron James.

However, despite Dinwiddie’s efforts, the arguments will only continue. Episodes 5 and 6 of “The Last Dance,” are set to air tonight on ESPN and will hit Netflix internationally tomorrow.

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15 years ago today LeBron James became youngest NBA player to score 50+ points in a game

Fifteen years ago today, LeBron James became youngest NBA player in history to score 50+ points during a game.

Fifteen years ago today, LeBron James exceeded the 50-point plateau for the first time in his career. LeBron scored 40 or more points five different times during the 2004-05 season. Those five times he exceeded this threshold that year are below. LeBron’s season high during his rookie year was 41.  

  • 40 Points vs. Atlanta Hawks on December 28, 2005 
  • 40 Points vs. Milwaukee Bucks on April 9, 2005 
  • 43 Points vs. Detroit Pistons on November 24, 2004 
  • 44 Points vs. New Orleans on March 28, 2005 
  • 56 Points vs. Toronto Raptors on March 20, 2005


On March 20, 2005, LeBron’s Cavaliers were 34-30 when they arrived at the Air Canada Centre to take on the 28-38 Toronto Raptors. Current ESPN NBA Analyst, Jalen Rose, was arguably the team’s best player at the time, with an improving Chris Bosh not far behind.

Rose would finish the game with 30 points while Bosh added 11. But the night, even in a losing effort, belonged to James who poured in a new career high of 56 points.

LeBron attempted 36 field goals in the contest and made 18. He’d also shoot 50% from 3-point range, connecting on 6-of-12 triples and 14 free throws. He grabbed 10 boards for good measure, as well, while dishing out five assists. Cavs teammate, Drew Gooden, went for 24 and 10 in support of the King as Cleveland fell short on the road. 

The Cavs trailed by only one point heading into the final period, but they were outlasted by Toronto who closed out and secured the 105-98 victory. But that wasn’t before James buried shot-after-shot on his way to offering one of the most prolific-scoring games of his legendary career. 

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Jalen Rose: I want to ‘put some respect on Sam Presti’s name’

Coming into All-Star Weekend, OKC won seven of their last 10, and tied a franchise record with eight straight road wins.

After Oklahoma City’s 123-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, the conversation could have been about Zion Williamson’s career-high 32 points or the monster block that he had against Abdel Nader.

But on the show, Jalen & Jacoby, co-host David Jacoby wanted to talk about the Thunder.

Oklahoma City went into All-Star Weekend winners of seven of their last 10 and tied a franchise record with eight wins in a row on the road.

After seeing what the team has been able to accomplish so far this season, his fellow co-host, Jalen Rose said he wanted to “put some respect on Sam Presti’s name”.

“A lot of us thought he was foolish when we looked down at the paper and saw he was trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook in the same offseason. When you look at how this veteran-laden team is playing with an influx of young players, plus the assets they have going long term, that looks amazing.”

Rose also credited the Thunder’s continued success to the stability provided by head coach Billy Donovan.

“We’ve seen him coach a Big Three with Harden, KD, and Westbrook, and overcome all that. Victor Oladipo has been on and off the team. Paul George has been on and off the team. Until now having Gallinari, and Chris Paul, and Steven Adams, grizzled veterans that are going to show up to work. And then Schroder and our guy, SGA. And so now, they’re legitimately a playoff team and also a squad you don’t want to play.”

While Rose said he didn’t necessarily expect the Thunder to win their opening-round series, he believes OKC has “a chance to win a couple of games”, with both he and Jacoby agreeing that Oklahoma City is capable of taking their first-round series to a Game 6.

The conversation about the Thunder starts at the 1:30 mark.

Oklahoma City is currently sixth in the Western Conference standings. They’ll have a chance to gain some ground when they host the No. 2 team in the West, the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Feb. 21.