5 Things You May Not Know About Jalen Rose, A 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE XCEL IMPACT Honoree

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Jalen Rose is synonymous with Michigan’s Fab Five, the Indiana Pacers, and his longtime career as a television analyst. His story also includes entrepreneurship, education, media ownership, and personal resilience. For Black entrepreneurs and executives, the most significant aspect of Rose’s story may be how he leveraged visibility, relationships, and cultural credibility into ownership, while continuing to invest in Detroit. Here are five lesser-known facts about the Detroit native.

Rose’s Father Was an NBA All-Star — But They Never Met

Rose’s biological father was Jimmy Walker, a two-time NBA All-Star and the No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft. ESPN reported Walker and Rose never met while Walker was alive. Rose contacted his father in 2000 after holding a letter from him for years. They began communicating, but Walker died from lung cancer in 2007 before they could meet in person.

Rose Turned His NBA Platform Into a Production Business

Rose, 53, anticipated the rise of athlete-driven media companies. In 2007, he founded Three Tier Entertainment, a production and management company that executive produced ESPN Films’ The Fab Five, the documentary about Michigan’s influential 1991 freshman class.

Rose’s entrepreneurial journey continues as co-founder and CEO of Same Page Entertainment, a Detroit-based multimedia company launched in 2026 with Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. According to a press release, the company develops scripted and unscripted film, television, and podcast projects.

Rose’s Breakout NBA Season Came After He Was Nearly Written Off

Rose’s NBA stardom was not immediate. Drafted by Denver in 1994, he spent two seasons with the Nuggets before being traded to Indiana. There, he initially struggled for playing time. His breakthrough came in the 1999-2000 season when he became Indiana’s leading scorer and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, CBS News reported. That season, the Indiana Pacers represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, and he averaged 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

Rose Built a Tuition-Free High School in His Hometown

In 2011, four years after retiring from the NBA, Rose founded the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit. This open-enrollment, tuition-free public charter school offers Detroit students opportunities to pursue college, careers, and life beyond high school. The Associated Press reported that Rose remains actively involved in the school’s daily life.

Rose’s Business Portfolio Is Now Bigger Than Basketball

Rose’s post-NBA career highlights broader opportunities for athletes who see their playing careers as a foundation. He has worked in television, authored a New York Times best-selling book, produced film and television projects, acted, and built businesses in media and entertainment.

Rose will be receiving an XCEL Impact Award from BLACK ENTERPRISE this October at the XCEL Summit For Men, Oct. 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida.

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