He rewrote NBA history at 22; at 36, he rewrote luxury norms with a single wrist shot.
No chains. No supercars. Just an $87,995 Swiss masterpiece in solid 18K yellow gold—and a question viewers couldn’t ignore: why this watch, why now? In a blink, Rose turned a Shanghai press event into a deeply personal statement

Right now, Derrick Rose is in Shanghai, China, attending an event for a licensing deal between NBA China and Beijing Ruyi Jingxiu. He showed up as a special guest, and fans there couldn’t get enough of him. Reports suggest that Rose was probably also there to hype his Adidas-endorsed “D Rose” sneaker line, which is insanely popular in China. Amid NBA China’s glitz, Rose unveiled his latest luxury acquisition: a vintage Audemars Piguet Cobra in solid yellow gold. And just like that, watch enthusiasts erupted online, dissecting every mesh link and blued-steel hand of Rose’s AP Cobra. And it’s making fans curious how Rose has some exquisite taste?

In an Instagram story, Derrick Rose gave fans a close-up of his new Audemars Piguet Cobra 18K Yellow Gold Watch. That $87,995 Audemars Piguet day-date Cobra runs on AP’s legendary caliber 2124 movement and is crafted entirely from solid 18K yellow gold. It features a 34mm case paired with a woven, mesh-like bracelet that blends perfectly with the watch’s vintage feel. Two sub-dials with sleek blued steel hands show the day and date at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions.

That vintage luxury vibe looks absolutely flawless resting on the palm of Rose’s hand in that Instagram snapshot. But here’s the cool part:. Rose credits his style to his mother Brenda, who first taught him to treasure heirloom classics. As Ross captioned, “My mom always said I had a old soul”. It’s clear his mother’s ‘old soul’ wisdom steered his refined taste.

Derrick Rose’s unshakeable bond with his mother

Long before Derrick Rose was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, one person stood firmly by his side, his mother, Brenda Rose. From the streets of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood to the bright lights of the NBA, Brenda’s love and support never wavered. As Derrick once shared in a heartfelt 2011 interview with CBS 2, his mom was there every step of the way.

Raised in a tough South Side neighborhood, Rose grew up alongside his three older brothers, Dwayne, Reggie, and Allan, with Brenda holding the family together as a single mother. “It was very tough growing up there,” Derrick admitted, reflecting on those early years.

When his NBA dreams finally came true, Rose knew exactly how to thank his biggest supporter. The first major purchase he made after signing his rookie contract was a beautiful Englewood suburban home for his mom. “She wanted to take everything from the old house to the new one. She’s like a pack rat,” Derrick joked, showing the same warmth that defines their bond.

Brenda, however, holds tight to something far more valuable than furniture. It’s a basement packed with Derrick’s memorabilia. “My mom is kind of obsessed with me,” Derrick laughed. “You go down there and it’s like a shrine to me.” Still, Brenda made sure Derrick stayed grounded despite the fame. “He was never treated like a star at home,” she explained. “He was just one of the regular kids in the family.”

Beyond memorabilia, Brenda instilled core values of humility. She taught her sons, “Just because you can shoot a basketball better than someone else, you shouldn’t think that you’re better than them.” That lesson in resilience echoed again in 2018 when Rose spoke at a University of Illinois-Chicago panel on mental health. He credited his mother’s unshakable support for helping him weather career-ending injuries

Even in retirement, Brenda remains his compass. When Rose announced he was stepping away in September 2024, she posted a moving Instagram message—“You have always been my gift from God—now embrace this new chapter,” she wrote. Theirs is a bond that transcends basketball.

From Englewood’s streets to MVP accolades, Rose’s story has always been a mother-son journey. A journey built on love, sacrifice, and the simple truth that family keeps you grounded, no matter how high you soar.