I'll Show You

Overview

A raw and honest memoir from one of the NBA's biggest stars  

Derrick Rose achieved an improbable childhood dream: being selected first overall in the NBA draft by his hometown Chicago Bulls. The point guard was a phenom, winning the Rookie of the Year award and electrifying fans around the world. In 2011, he became the youngest MVP in league history. Rarely had a bond between a player and fans been so strong, as the city wrapped its arms around the homegrown hero. Six years and four knee surgeries later, his career was seemingly on the brink of collapse. But Rose never believed his struggles on and off the court were anything other than temporary setbacks. I'll Show You is an honest, intimate conversation with one of the world's most popular athletes, a star whose on-court brilliance is matched only by his aversion to the spotlight. Rose opens himself up in a document that is as unflinching—and at times as uncomfortable—as a personal diary. Detailing his childhood spent in one of his city's most dangerous neighborhoods; his relationships with both opponents and teammates; the pain and controversies surrounding his career-altering injuries; his complicated relationship to fame and fortune; and his rise, fall, and reemergence as the player LeBron James says is "still a superhero," I'll Show You is one of the most candid and surprising autobiographies of a modern-day superstar ever written.

Reviews

"Rose, born and raised in a tough Chicago neighborhood, led his high-school team to the Illinois state title. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, the first overall selection in the 2008 draft. In 2009, he was named NBA rookie of the year. In 2011, he was selected as the league's Most Valuable Player, the youngest player ever to win the award. Then came maximum contracts, lucrative shoe endorsements, and heightened scrutiny. For an inherently shy young man, it was difficult. Then things started to go sour. A torn ligament in his knee resulted in a year's rehabilitation. Then another knee injury and another season lost. This as-told-to autobiography, coauthored with celebrated NBA reporter Sam Smith (The Jordan Rules, 1991), tracks Rose's journey, which takes him to New York, Cleveland, Utah, and Minnesota. Only at Minnesota does his career begin to rebound under former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. This is a fascinating account of the tribulations of NBA life, made especially compelling by the detailed recording of Rose's grueling rehab experiences. Basketball fans, especially those who marveled at Rose's early years, will enjoy the book immensely." —Booklist

Author Biography

Born and raised in Chicago, Derrick Rose was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was the league's Rookie of the Year, and in 2011 became the youngest MVP in NBA history at the age of 22. He has also played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Detroit Pistons. Sam Smith is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Jordan Rules, Second Coming, There Is No Next, and Hard Labor. He received the Naismith Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2012 and today writes for Bulls.com. You can follow him at @SamSmithHoops.