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Chicago’s Derrick Rose Youngest To Win MVP: A Look At Other NBA Greats At His Age

After dazzling fans at the United Center all season, the NBA awarded Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose with its 2010-2011 Most Valuable Player Award. Not only did Rose lead Chicago to the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and the best overall record in the NBA at 62-20, but he also became just the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds a game.

Even more impressive than Rose’s stats is his age. He doesn’t turn 23 until Oct. 4. That means at 22 years and 7 months Rose is the youngest player to ever win the NBA’s MVP Award.

Rose’s accomplishment got ChicagoSmarts thinking about other NBA MVPs and what they were doing when they were 22 years and 7 months. Below, we take at look at 10 former and one future MVPs to see what they were doing at Rose’s age. The results range from winning championships to struggling to get playing time.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6x MVP)
DOB: April 16, 1947
In November of 1969, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 22 years and 7 months, he was still known as Lew Alcindor. He had just been the first pick in both the 1969 NBA and ABA Drafts (he eventually signed with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks because they offered him more money). Also t this time, Alcindor was establishing himself as one of the NBA’s top players. He would go on to finish second in the league in scoring (28.8) and third in rebounding (14.5). Not only did Alcindor win Rookie of the Year honors but he completely turned around the Bucks franchise. The season prior, the Bucks finished 27-55. With Alcindor in the lineup they finished 56-26. The Bucks advanced to the division finals but lost to the New York Knicks in five games. The next year, Alcindor was named both league MVP and Finals MVP. Then the day after leading the Bucks to their first ever NBA title he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Larry Bird (3x MVP)
DOB: Dec. 7, 1956
Larry Bird turned 22 years and 7 months in July of 1979. His college days had just ended and his legendary career in the NBA was months away from starting. His last college game was the NCAA Championship where his Indiana State Sycamores were defeated by Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans. Bird had been drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1978 and his first year with the team (1979-1980) he made the All-Star Team, the All-NBA First Team, and won Rookie of the Year honors. Bird led the Celtics to the best record in the NBA (61-21) while leading them in scoring, rebounding, steals, and minutes played. The C’s did make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals but were defeated by the Philadelphia 76′ers in five games. Had Bird and the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals they would have faced Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe Bryant (1x MVP)
DOB: Aug. 23, 1978
In February of 2001, when Kobe Bryant was becoming 22 years and 7 months old, he was winding down a season where he averaged 28.5 points a game and led the Los Angeles Lakers in assists with 5.0 a game. He would eventually be named to the ALL-NBA Second Team and the All-NBA Defensive Second Team. In the postseason, Bryant helped Shaq and the rest of the Lakers cruise to the franchise’s 13th NBA title. Amazingly, the Lakers were 15-1 in the 2001 playoffs. This is also the year where the rift between Kobe and Shaq started to rear its ugly head.

Tim Duncan (2x MVP)
DOB: April 25, 1976
In November of 1998, when Duncan was 22 years and 7 months old, he was waiting for the NBA season to begin. A lockout pushed the start of the campaign back to Feb. 5, 1999 and cut the number of games from 82 to 50. The Spurs finished the truncated regular season 37-13 as Duncan averaged 21.7 points a game. In the postseason, the Spurs rolled through the Western Conference and into the NBA Finals where they throttled the Knicks in 5 games. Duncan was brilliant in the Finals and garnered MVP honors. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 2.4 assists. It’s not MVP of the season, but it’s an MVP award nevertheless.

Kevin Durant (Future MVP)
DOB: Sept. 29, 1988
Kevin Durant didn’t receive any first place votes but he did finish fifth in MVP voting behind Rose. For the 2010-2011 season, Durant, who is five days older than Rose, led the league in scoring with 27.7 points a game. He also led his Oklahoma City Thunder to the Western Conference Finals. To get there, the Thunder had to get by a pesky Memphis Grizzlies team. Their hard fought second round series went seven games but the Thunder were finally able to advance thanks to Durant’s 39-point performance in the clincher. He’ll be older than 22 years and 7 months, but it’s only a matter of time before Durant wins an MVP award.

LeBron James (2 x MVP)
DOB: Dec. 30, 1984
LeBron James celebrated his 22nd and 7th month birthday at the end of July 2007. He was probably still smarting from his Cleveland Cavilers getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals. However, basketball fans were still relishing his performance in the Eastern Conference Finals. During that epic six-game series against the Detroit Pistons, James willed his Cavs to victory after falling into a 0-2 hole. The series’ zenith was Game 5. The Cavs won that thriller in overtime thanks to James’ amazing 48-point performance. James didn’t win any MVP awards that year but he did establish himself as one of the game’s best player.

Magic Johnson (3x MVP)
DOB: Aug. 14, 1959
It’s March of 1982. Magic Johnson is 22 years and 7 months and he’s busy leading the Los Angeles Lakers to another NBA title. Along the way to that championship, he’ll be named to the All-NBA Second Team and become the third NBA player to amass at least 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in the same season. Oh yeah, he also won his second NBA Finals MVP Award. Get this, by the end of Johnson’s third season in the NBA he had already won two championship rings. Before the start of the aforementioned season, Johnson had signed a 25-year, $25 million deal with the Lakers—at the time it was the most lucrative contract in sports history. Then after the season started, Johnson got coach Paul Westhead fired. He was replaced by Pat Riley and the rest is history.

Michael Jordan (5x MVP)
DOB: Feb. 17, 1963
When Jordan crossed the 22-year, 7-month mark in September of 1985 he was basking in his Rookie of the Year award and getting ready for what would be a disastrous 1985-1986 season. In Chicago’s third game of the season Jordan would break his foot. Many thought his “Airness” would miss the entire season, but he returned after 64 games. While the season would result in his lowest scoring output as a Bull, just 22.7 points a game, and a first round sweep at the hands of the Celtics, it did produce one of those legendary Jordan moments. In Game 2 of the series (which took place in Boston and went into double overtime), Jordan scored 63 points to establish a single-game playoff scoring record.

Steve Nash (2x MVP)
DOB: Feb. 7, 1974
In September of 1996, Steve Nash was turning 22 years and 7 months and preparing for his first NBA season. He had just been selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 15th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Before that he led the Santa Clara Broncos to a first round upset over #7 seed Maryland in the NCAA Tournament. In his first season in the Association, Nash started just two games. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.1 assists. It would be awhile before Nash would play MVP-caliber ball.

Dirk Nowitzki (1x MVP)
DOB: June 19, 1978
When Dirk Nowitzki was 22 years and 7 months old it was January of 2001 and he was in the middle of his third NBA season. It was a breakout year for the German as it was the first time he averaged more than 20 points (21.8) and more than nine rebounds (9.2) a game. When it was all said and done, Nowitzki was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In the playoffs, Nowitzki led Dallas to a first round victory over the Utah Jazz before getting dispatched by the San Antonio Spurs. Still, it was the first time the Mavs qualified for the postseason since 1990 and the first time they won a playoff series since 1988.

Shaquille O’Neal (1x MVP)
DOB: March 6, 1972
In October of 1994, Shaquille O’Neal turned 22 years and 7 months and was beginning his third NBA season. He was coming off a year where he averaged 29.3 points a game. He would duplicate that mark exactly in the upcoming 1994-1995 season. In the 1995 NBA Playoffs, Shaq led the Orlando Magic all the way to the Finals where they were swept by the Houston Rockets. But who cares about all that stuff? Earlier in 1994 Shaq’s made his cinematic debut in the movie “Blue Chips.” Then in November, when Shaq was 22 years and 8 months old, he released his second album, “Shaq Fu: Da Return.” “Most valuable player” more like “most valuable performer.”

Of all the entertainment venues in Chicago – and there are many great spots – perhaps one of the most diverse is the United Center. Not only do the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks call it home, but plenty of other big names stop by for visits.

In 2011, the Bulls and Blackhawks will play out their seasons with a smattering of other events sprinkled into the schedule.

Riding the momentum from their most recent number one album, A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park will hit the United Center on January 26 as part of their tour. This latest offering has already yielded two hit tunes in “The Catalyst” and “Waiting for the End,” and the band plans on offering up the same mojo in their concerts.

Front man Chester Bennington says, “The new songs work really well alongside the older stuff. Plus, there’s a strong, powerful message to A Thousand Suns, and we’ve transferred that into the show. Our aim was that we’re not just putting on a live performance, but something that’s visually spectacular as well.”

For something more family-oriented, Disney On Ice Presents Pixar’s Toy Story 3 at the United Center on February 2-13. The tale features Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the whole Toy Story clan as they escape from Sunnyside Daycare and try to make their way home.

Then it’s back to the rock, Kid Rock, to be precise. The Born Free tour lands in Chicago on February 26 shortly after his big 40th birthday celebration in Detroit. For the upcoming tour, Kid Rock is aiming high and true.

He explains, “I went on the merit of the music alone the last few years. This time we’re taking out a set. I’m like, ‘I got the music. Now let me give the people something to see,’ so we’re trying to figure out how do we create this set where it can turn into fire and strippers… and have an acoustic thing in the middle that’s truly heartfelt and we can do our country thing.”

Just after that, Lady Gaga will turn the United Center into a Monster Ball on February 28. Despite having to cancel some gigs earlier this year due to exhaustion, it seems Gaga got her groove back. She’s since added a string of dates in 2011, including this one in Chicago.

Tickets for Bon Jovi’s March 8-9 stand will surely go fast as Jon Bon Jovi told Billboard a few weeks ago that this will be the band’s last hurrah.

Once the summer leg of the tour wraps up, Jon says, “I’m going to sit on the beach for August, which is usually what I do and come September figure out what’s next.”

He even showed his hand for some of the possibilities: “A smaller-sounding solo record and/or focus more on the philanthropy and sports ownerships.

“I don’t see any acting in the immediate future. It’ll be out of the political cycles, and there’s nothing else I wish I could do. I’m not a coulda, shoulda, woulda kind of guy. If I wanted to do it, I tried it, so it’s not like I have any hidden desire to become a chef or anything.”

Also in March, the United Center will host the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament March 18-20.

For most, if not all, of your Chicago sports and concert needs, the United Center is the answer.