{"id":3097,"date":"2026-08-28T05:59:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T05:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philguide.com\/?p=3097"},"modified":"2026-09-04T02:51:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:51:27","slug":"derrick-rose-gets-mvp-welcome-from-the-queen-city-of-the-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philguide.com\/blog\/news\/derrick-rose-gets-mvp-welcome-from-the-queen-city-of-the-south\/","title":{"rendered":"Derrick Rose gets MVP welcome from the Queen City of the South"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Derrick Rose greets Cebuano fans during \u201cRose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu\u201d at SM Seaside City Cebu on Aug. 26.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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CEBU, Philippines<\/strong> \u2014 Derrick Rose may have retired from the NBA nearly two years ago, but a packed SM Seaside City Cebu greeted him on Wednesday afternoon, August 26, as if he had never left.<\/p>

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Familiar chants of \u201cMVP! MVP!\u201d echoed almost nonstop as ArenaPlus<\/a> brought Rose before Cebuano fans for \u201cRose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu,\u201d his first public appearance in the city a day after meeting ArenaPlus VIPs at the exclusive Champion\u2019s Circle Appreciation Dinner.<\/p>

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\u201cI feel like I gotta have some type of Filipino in my blood somewhere,\u201d Rose said. \u201cThere\u2019s no way I could come over here and get this much love.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Derrick Rose answers questions from content creators during \u201cRose Meets the Queen\u201d at SM Seaside City Cebu.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The reception came on Rose\u2019s fifth visit to the Philippines and his third as an ArenaPlus ambassador in less than a year, part of the brand\u2019s continuing effort to bring major sports personalities and experiences closer to Filipino fans beyond Metro Manila.<\/p>

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\u201cDerrick\u2019s the youngest MVP in NBA history, and his story has inspired millions of fans around the world,\u201d ArenaPlus Head Ethan William said in a pre-recorded message. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to bring him closer to his Filipino fans today because that\u2019s what sports do\u2014they bring people together and give us moments we remember long after the game\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>

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\u201cWe want more fans across the Philippines to have moments like this, not just in Metro Manila,\u201d he added. \u201cToday, it\u2019s Cebu\u2019s turn.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Derrick Rose smiles for photos with passionate Cebuano fans during \u201cRose Meets the Queen\u201d at SM Seaside City Cebu.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rose made the moment more personal by giving the Cebuano crowd something of their own, drawing another roar when he called out, \u201cShagit ug kusog!\u201d (\u201cMake some noise!\u201d)<\/p>

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Before Rose took the floor, four teams of influencers battled in 3×3 games, with representatives later earning the chance to go up against him in the \u201cShoot Like a Legend\u201d challenge\u2014a 30-second shooting contest from the free-throw line.<\/p>

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Rose quickly found his rhythm, scoring on 13 of 15 attempts in 30 seconds and offering Cebu a glimpse of the former No. 1 overall pick who won Rookie of the Year and made history in 2011 as the league\u2019s youngest MVP at 22.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Derrick Rose scores 13 of 15 attempts in 30 seconds from the free-throw line during the \u201cShoot Like a Legend\u201d challenge.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Marc Malazarte of Team Bourama came closest with nine points and earned an ArenaPlus basketball signed by the former MVP.<\/p>

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From the court, Rose made his way to the ArenaPlus city marker, where he added his signature to the installation. He also signed 10 basketballs that later found their way into the hands of raffle winners.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Derrick Rose scores 13 of 15 attempts in 30 seconds from the free-throw line during the \u201cShoot Like a Legend\u201d challenge.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fans also took home three Apple Watches, three AirPods Pro, two iPads, one MacBook Neo, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max through the afternoon\u2019s raffle draws, before Filipino hip-hop artist Skusta Clee capped the festivities with performances of hits including \u201cPauwi Na \u2019Ko,\u201d \u201cRosas,\u201d and \u201cSa Susunod Na Lang.\u201d<\/p>

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\u201cYou all are great fans … and that\u2019s one of the reasons why I keep coming over here,\u201d Rose said. \u201cYou just don\u2019t get this by mistake … feeling this love, knowing the work that I put in, knowing that I gave it my all. This is what it\u2019s for.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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About DigiPlus<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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DigiPlus Interactive Corp. pioneered digital entertainment in the Philippines. It introduced the leading platforms BingoPlus and ArenaPlus, widely known for their engaging interactive gaming and sports entertainment experiences. DigiPlus also operates GameZone, with more to come. For more information, visit www.digiplus.com.ph<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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About ArenaPlus<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArenaPlus<\/a> is the #1 PAGCOR-licensed online sportsbook in the Philippines, providing a secure and engaging sports betting and streaming experience. Launched in 2023, ArenaPlus features a wide range of local and international sports and continues to expand its presence through key partnerships across major leagues, including the NBA, PBA, and PVL.\n\n \n\nArenaPlus is committed to strengthening the sports community by supporting local athletes, highlighting their dedication and the hard work behind their journeys, and inspiring community pride.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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ArenaPlus is a PAGCOR-licensed sportsbook open to players aged 21 and above. Gambling does not guarantee earnings or financial gains \u2014 always have a game plan and play within your means. If you’d like tools to manage your play, visit ArenaPlus’s Responsible Gaming page, or contact PAGCOR at (02) 8522-0299 \/ www.pagcor.ph\/regulatory\/responsible-gaming.php. Gambling can be addictive \u2014 know when to stop.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CEBU, Philippines \u2014 Derrick Rose may have retired from the NBA nearly two years ago, but a packed SM Seaside City Cebu greeted him on Wednesday afternoon, August 26, as if he had never left. \u00a0 Familiar chants of \u201cMVP! MVP!\u201d echoed almost nonstop as ArenaPlus brought Rose before Cebuano fans for \u201cRose Meets the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3097"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3123,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3097\/revisions\/3123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}