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Thursday, June 25, 2009

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Continuing the "Rose" basketball tradition By FRED STURRUP ~ NG Associate Editor ~ frederick@nasguard.com: Jacob Rose is the older brother. He had exceptional basketball skills and became a gym legend in The Bahamas. They still call him 'Shake and Bake' today because of his ability to mesmerize defenders, drive past them and finish at the hoop. Then came Cecil Rose. He developed a lot of his skills right in the A.F. Adderley Gym. On Saturday morning during the early 1970s, A.F. Adderley was where a lot of recreational basketball took place. Young professionals joined school boys in numerous three-on-three sessions. Cecil was a skinny wizard with the ball. No matter how you pressured him, doubled and yes triple-teamed him, he would get loose and embarrass the opposing team. This period was the prelude to him joining up with Mychal Thompson, Charles Thompson and Osborne Lockhart as the feared Bahamian foursome at Miami Jackson High School. The 'Jackson Generals' became, I believe, the biggest chapter in the Florida High School basketball legacy. Rose was all-world in Florida. While he was leading the Generals with his explosive play from the two-guard position, he was almost as popular (certainly among the high school sports folks) as some of the famous players on the Miami Dolphins football team and Coach Don Shula. Indeed, the young high school sports followers knew his name as well as Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, Paul Warfield and Bob Griese. Three of those football luminaries (Csonka, Warfield and Griese are in the National Football League's Hall of Fame). Cecil would go further. He and Charles Thompson went to the University of Houston and became stars on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scene along with teammate Otis Birdsong The sibling brother to follow Cecil was Lynden. He could play some ball also. Lynden stepped into his brother's shoes in Houston and actually traveled well in the NCAA circle. He has memories, along with game associates Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, of the 1982 defeat in the Final Four round to a North Carolina team with a certain player named Michael Jordan on it. Like both of his older brothers, Jacob and Cecil, Lynden had the court tools to play at the highest level, the National Basketball Association for years, but it just didn't work out for him. There is another Rose though, who could go all the way and become a fixture in the NBA. Reference is to Lynden's son, Junior. Lynden Rose Jr., called simply 'L.J.', is a high school basketball prodigy at Second Baptist School in Houston. He has been named to the 2009 All-Texas Class 4A First Team. According to information reaching me from his uncle and my long-time friend, Cecil, the young lad's efforts led to an invitation to the inaugural USA Development National Team. Now, he is an official member of the USA Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) 2009-2010 squad. The next goal is helping his team qualify and succeed at the Under-16 World Championships, schedule next July in Hamburg, Germany. Just 15-years-old, (he will be 16 on December 11) young Lynden has some very big shoes to fill. Thus far, he's doing exceptionally well. Congratulations and best wishes! Friday, June 12, 2009