“One of the greatest EVER! Case closed” — from Eddie Johnson to Magic Johnson, the basketball community has not stopped grieving the loss of Pete Rose. Some will remember him for the player he was — 3x World Series champ and record holder for the highest number of hits (4256). Meanwhile, some may still stick to the betting scandal that Rose got involved in and got a permanent ban. Rex Chapman, in a post on X, has done a bit of both. However, nothing that degrades the legacy of the MLB legend.

Taking to X, Chapman went back to the time when he was just 9 and his father got him tickets to see the “Big Red Machine”. As per the ex-NBA star’s post, this was back in 1976, when Rose was still playing with the Cincinnati Reds. As most MLB fans would know, Rose played for almost a decade and a half with the Reds, earning multiple achievements during that time. This included 2 World Series, a World Series MVP title, ROTY, and multiple All-Star appearances.

No wonder Chapman, in his post, wrote, “These guys were superheroes to those of us who lived in the area. A three hour drive or so from our hometown of Owensboro, Ky.” Further in his X post, the 56-year-old jumped to the time when he had just finished his rookie year in the NBA. This was also the time that Pete Rose was in the news a lot because of his betting scandal.

What started off with the league receiving a report regarding Rose’s involvement in gambling led to an investigation report confirming that Pete was involved in betting on Reds’ games while he was a player and manager. And then again, when he was just the manager.

During the time, it just so happened that Rex ran into Pete at a charity golf event in Cincinnati. “He (Rose) gets out of his car, looks at me and says, “Rex Chapman?” I said, “Yessir.” Pete said, “I won so much fkn money off you at UK.” On brand. RIP Pete,” the ex-Charlotte Hornets star recalled the whole instance.

Initially, the ex-Reds star had consistently denied his involvement in the betting. Something that even prevented his entry in the Hall of Fame because of a rule made in 1991. However, it seems after a point, Charlie Hustle had no issue in admitting to what he did. However, he stated he never betted against his team, the Reds.

“Could control what I was doing“: Pete Rose lashed out upon allegations of gambling addiction

Although the 3x World Series champ admitted to having gambled during his tenure in Cincinnati, he never considered it to be the subject of intense shame. And neither did he want anyone else to do it to him. His 2017 interview with journalist Graham Bensinger made this very clear.

During the interview, the ex-Reds star faced a challenging question of what advice he would give to someone struggling with gambling addiction. Someone who wants to stop but doesn’t know how. The question clearly struck a nerve.

“I don’t know anything about that because I always thought I was in control… All of a sudden, it sounds to me like you think I’m an addict. I don’t know where you got that at… I could control what I was doing,” Charlie Hustle replied. However, he admitted he was wrong and got caught. But to answer the original question, Pete Rose stated if someone is an addict, they should get help.

Despite everything that transpired, now maybe it’s time that Rose finds his place in the Hall of Fame, as per recent popular fan demand.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.