Jalen Rose

On-Air Sports Broadcaster 

Current ESPN/ABC analyst and former 13-year NBA veteran Jalen Rose is one of the few professional athletes to maintain a high profile post retirement. Long known for his post-game quotes and great relationship with the media, Jalen continues to show his versatility in the broadcast booth, in the entertainment world and as a philanthropist. In 2013, Crown Archtype announced a deal to publish Jalen's first book where he shares the same no-holds-barred perspective on life and sports that established him as one of the nation's most popular athlete-turned-broadcasters. The book is slated to be released in Spring 2014.

Jalen was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Southwestern High School and the University of Michigan. In college he was part of the legendary "Fab Five" where he and his teammates revolutionized the sport of basketball on the court and off by wearing baggy uniform shorts, black socks and black shoes. The only team in Final Four history to ever start five freshmen, they led the Wolverines to back to back NCAA Championship game appearances. In 1994, Jalen was drafted in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. Jalen's most memorable NBA moments during his thirteen-year career include winning the NBA's "Most Improved Player" and "Player of the Week" awards in 2000 and "Eastern Conference Player of the Week" accolades in 2005. As a member of the Indiana Pacers, his team appeared in three straight eastern conference finals including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2000.

While many basketball stars make the transition to the small screen after they hang up their basketball kicks, Jalen made the bold leap in the midst of his NBA career in 2002, becoming a multi-faceted reporter and on-air personality for Fox Sports Net's famed "Best Damn Sports Show Period." Working with the "Best Damn Sports Show Period" for six years, the budding broadcast star developed his own lifestyle-oriented "Jammin' With Jalen" segment. Shortly after retiring from basketball in 2007, Jalen - a mass communications major at U of M who ultimately earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland University College - went full throttle pursuing his passion in the multi-media, sports and entertainment world, signing with ESPN/ABC as an analyst. Covering a wide range of current events in the landscape of sports, he's appeared on the network's flagship shows SportsCenter, Mike and Mike in the Morning, First Take, SportsNation and Outside the Lines, as well as the basketball related shows Coast to Coast, NBA Countdown and NBA Tonight. This marks Jalen's sixth season as an ESPN analyst. Starting September 2012, he will appear regularly as a Host on NBA Countdown, Numbers Never Lie and College GameDay. He will also announce NCAA basketball games plus cover the NBA Playoffs/Finals for the eleventh consecutive season.

In 2007, Jalen created Three Tier Entertainment (TTE), a LA based production and management company. TTE is committed to creating an artistic haven for actors, writers and directors. TTE produces smart, provocative commercial projects with a worldwide mass appeal for film, Television and the web. In 2011, TTE executive produced ESPN's highest rated documentary "The Fab Five."

A philanthropist who truly gives from the heart, Jalen established the Jalen Rose Foundation/Charitable Fund to create life-changing opportunities for underserved youth through the development of unique programs and the distribution of grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. Grants focus on education and sports and are distributed in Jalen's hometown of Detroit as well as other communities in need. More than $1.2 million in charitable donations personally donated by Jalen have been distributed since the foundation's 2000 inception.

Jalen's most substantial outreach initiative to date is the establishment of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA). The Academy opened its doors in September 2011 and is an open enrollment public charter high school on the Northwest side of Detroit. The Academy currently serves over 200 ninth and tenth grade students; an additional freshman class each subsequent year. Detroit area students receive a leadership-focused education based upon real-world, project-based experiences within the career context of sports & entertainment. This high school will ensure students receive extensive college exposure and course opportunities through a partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy. Jalen is the founder of JRLA and serves as the President of the Board of Directors.

Recently, the City Council of Detroit awarded Jalen with a Spirit of Detroit Award in recognition of his exceptional achievement, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life. In a movement to transform public education, Jalen joins Michelle Rhee on the StudentsFirst Board of Directors. He is also a spokesperson for the American Federation for Children to promote school choice.

A true play-maker on the court while charming and fashionable off the court, Jalen has been recognized for his style on numerous occasions including being voted one of the NBA's best dressed players. Jalen has proved to be more than just a professional athlete making him an all-around superstar on and off the hardwood. This mogul will always be known as "The Natural."

Recent Awards/Recognition:
2012 Detroit Young & Powerful for Obama Rising Star Award
2012 Frontpage Detroit FP40 Honoree
2012 Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr./Rainbow Push Trailblazer Award
2012 University of Michigan African American Alumni Council Award Recipient
2011 City Council Spirit of Detroit Award