Rose, Malik

Keith Langlois

LAS VEGAS – If you’re scoring at home, credit Mike Breen with the assist in setting Malik Rose on the path that led him to become an NBA executive and ultimately delivered him to the Pistons.

Rose knew what he wanted long before his career was winding down with the Knicks.

“I always had my mind on working with a team,” said Rose, newly named as Pistons assistant general manager, as he settled in to watch a Summer League practice on UNLV’s campus. “I wanted to be around basketball for my entire life and I couldn’t play forever, so this was the next best thing.”

He’d soaked in a lifetime plus of basketball knowledge from the people he’d been around over a 13-year playing career – Gregg Popovich, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas just a few of the names he ticks off – but it was Breen, longtime Knicks and network TV play-by-play broadcaster, whose advice he followed to start his post-career journey.

“I wasn’t getting as much playing time as I would have liked and Mike Breen and I hit it off. He asked me what I wanted to do after basketball,” Rose said. “He suggested doing television as a way to stay in sight and mind because these jobs are hard to get. There are only 30 of them and there’s a lot of competition. I swear, he was like a prophet, because that’s what I did.”

First for the Knicks and then for his hometown Philadelphia 76ers, Rose spent five years doing TV while simultaneously earning a master’s degree at Drexel, where he also got his undergrad degree, and  – surprise – came to thoroughly enjoy it.

“It was kind of bittersweet leaving when I got my first front-office job,” he said.

Rose joined Atlanta’s front office in 2015 and as his responsibilities grew so did his profile as an up-and-comer among NBA executives. When Pistons owner Tom Gores named Ed Stefanski senior adviser in May, Rose’s name came onto the radar shortly thereafter. Rose’s Philadelphia connections to both Stefanski and Arn Tellem, Pistons vice chairman and another Philly native, nudged the door a little further open.

“I’ve known Ed professionally just from being around front-office circles. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Arn and Ed,” Rose said. “When Ed was still working with the Sixers I tried to intern with him when I first retired. I wanted to move back home and work with him, but he was swamped and his plate was full so it couldn’t happen. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity in Detroit. I took this job because I believe in what Ed and Arn are doing. It’s basically their vision – I believe in it.”

If there was perceived uncertainty for outsiders because of the unique nature of Stefanski’s title as senior adviser and how it fit into a traditional structure – and how it would relate to the offered position of assistant GM – Rose admits there was the same question in his mind initially.

“There was a little bit of trepidation, but Arn and Ed put all of that to rest,” Rose said. “They told me how they envisioned things and how they wanted things to go in Detroit and it was music to my ears. I loved it and I signed on. I’m going to be a part of Ed’s decision-making team. A lot of scouting, a lot of personnel – just pretty much a hand in everything. But what I’m really focused on, what I’m really excited about, is I get a chance to really dig in to personnel and take that to a different level.”

While Rose was in the TV world, he’d use every opportunity he could – coffee, lunch, dinner – to pick the brains of front-office personnel around the league, gaining perspective and, not coincidentally, expanding his network of contacts, eager to jump in wherever opportunity took him.

But he has an even greater appreciation for the opportunity with the Pistons and a situation unlike most to confront newly installed front offices.

“I’m excited. I really am. Like I said, no bad jobs in the NBA, but most times when a new GM or a new front-office team is hired it’s because the team was bad or they want to rebuild and you have to go through a lot of losing seasons,” he said. “We don’t have that issue with us. We have a team that’s, by and large, ready made. We have two very good big guys, we have a very good guard coming back from injury, so I’m excited about this team. I really am.

“And I’m very confident in coach Casey. I think we really hit a home run with him as coach. It’s your first job, you come in and you’ve got Dwane Casey as coach and you have three very good players? Man, I’m excited.”

malik-roses-lifetime-dream-delivers-him-to-the-pistons-its-going-to-be-a-great-opportunity

Malik Rose’s lifetime dream delivers him to the Pistons: ‘It’s going to be a great opportunity’

Pistons.com

DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that Malik Rose has been named assistant general manager.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

                “We are pleased to welcome Malik Rose to the Detroit Pistons organization,” said Ed Stefanski, Special Advisor to owner Tom Gores.  “Malik has been around successful teams throughout his NBA playing career and now, as a young executive, he brings great basketball knowledge from both a playing and administrative perspective.  His engaging and collaborative spirit fits perfectly with the basketball operations staff we are looking to construct.”

                Rose has spent the last three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks as their manager of basketball operations.  He also served as general manager for the club’s NBA G-League affiliate – the Erie BayHawks.

                The 13-year NBA veteran appeared in 813 regular season games with the Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder where he averaged 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.  The Philadelphia native was drafted by Charlotte in the second round (44th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft.  He signed as a free agent with San Antonio in 1997 and was traded to New York in 2005.  Rose finished his career with Oklahoma City in 2009.  He appeared in 82 playoff games, recording averages of 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game and won NBA Championships with the Spurs in 1999 and 2003.

                After retiring from the NBA, Rose worked as a television analyst for the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Austin Toros of the NBA G-League, NBA TV and NBA Radio from 2010-2015.

                Rose played collegiately at Drexel University from 1992-96 where he earned degrees in computer information systems and education with a mathematics certification.  He also owns a Master’s degree in sports management.

Rose, Malik

Malik Rose’s lifetime dream delivers him to the Pistons: ‘It’s going to be a great opportunity’

Detroit Pistons Name Malik Rose As Assistant General Manager