Rose's legacy will be defined by Bulls' success

Derrick Rose has always borne the burden of individual greatness. First overall pick in 2008? Son, you better be great. And he was. And is. His greatness was notarized this week when he became the youngest MVP in NBA history.

And now, the bad news.

Rose has moved beyond other young superstars in the league, players like Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and even Carmelo Anthony. For them, the pursuit of individual greatness remains something to be praised. Not for Rose. Not anymore. For him, as the 29th member of the NBA's exclusive MVP club, he now bears the burden of something even greater.

The Bulls have to win an NBA title, or Rose will be greatness stained. That will be his legacy: Great player, but ...

Look at me here, doing it already. Here's an MVP trophy for you, Derrick Rose. Congratulations. But what have you done for us lately?

Great player, but ...

It's different for an MVP. Once a player wins that award, everything becomes all about him -- whether he likes it or not. Some guys like it. Tim Duncan never did, but Kobe Bryant liked it and LeBron James craved it more than most of us realized. Derrick Rose is a different breed of cat. He's a humble superstar, a giant talent without the giant ego, but from this point on it will be all about Rose. When his team wins, it will be about what Rose did to make it happen. When his team loses, it will be about what he didn't do.

That's the way of the world, and it started Monday night, hours after the news began to circulate that Rose would soon be named, officially, MVP. That night the Bulls lost to Atlanta in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals despite 24 points, 10 assists and just three turnovers from Rose. On the surface, that's a hell of a game for a point guard. But because Rose was about to be named MVP, his game wasn't analyzed on the surface. People were going to dig deeper and point out that he needed 27 shots to get those 24 points, and that he didn't get to the free-throw line once. And what kind of MVP doesn't get to the foul line even once?

That is Rose's reality today. Tomorrow? Tomorrow he will be judged by the number of championships he wins in Chicago. That is how Michael Jordan came to be considered the greatest player of all time, not by winning all those scoring titles or MVP trophies but by winning those six championship rings. Same for Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Larry and Magic. Kareem and Hakeem. Great players. MVP's. Champions.

To be an MVP and not win an NBA title, though, is to be like two-time MVP's Karl Malone and Steve Nash, and one-time winners Allen Iverson (2001) and Charles Barkley (1993).

Great players, but ...

That was the legacy of 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett until he finally won an NBA title in 2008, at age 32, after joining the loaded Celtics. It'll be the legacy of 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki unless the Mavericks break through sooner or later. And since he turns 33 in June, they better do it sooner.

It is threatening to become LeBron James' legacy, although he still has time -- and he stacked the deck by leaving Cleveland last year in search of better teammates. James knows the game, so he tried to game the system by teaming up with elite free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Time will tell if it works, and even then more time will be required for the final verdict on James' scheme. MVP and champion, yes. But what about that move to Miami? Icky or understandable?

We'll see. That's a story for another day. Today the story is Derrick Rose and the pressure on him not just to be great, but to lead his team to greatness. He has time, of course, but time flies. Until Rose came along, Wes Unseld had been the youngest MVP, winning the 1969 award at age 23. Nine years later, at age 32, he won his first (and only) NBA title. Wilt Chamberlain also was MVP at 23, but not a champion until he was 30.

Now the countdown begins for Rose. Already he is great individually, of course. We didn't need the MVP trophy he won Tuesday to confirm that. This year Rose became one of a handful players with a season of 2,000 points, 600 assists and 300 rebounds, and to average 25 points, 7.5 assists and four rebounds. Only four other players are on both lists: Jordan, Bird, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James.

Four great players. But only three immortal, untouchable legacies.

LeBron James is thrashing about, trying to get his legacy just right.

Now the burden falls on Derrick Rose.