Last June, Derrick Rose was the first player selected in the 2008 Draft. On All-Star Saturday Night, Rose was first again.

Finishing off his winning time of 35.3 seconds with an emphatic double-pump reverse dunk, the Chicago Bulls guard became the first rookie to win the PlayStation Skills Challenge when he defeated New Jersey’s Devin Harris in the championship round.

“It means a lot,” Rose said of the win. “I’m a part of history with some of the greatest players in the league that have won this award.”

Rose, who leads all rookies with 6.3 assists per game, finished the course 4.4 seconds faster than the Nets’ point guard did.

Rose also breezed through his first round with a time of 33.3 seconds, 3.3 seconds ahead of Harris, 4.2 seconds ahead of Cleveland’s Mo Williams and nearly a quarter of a minute faster than San Antonio’s Tony Parker’s 50.8 seconds. The Spurs’ point guard now holds the dubious distinction of having the two slowest times ever recorded in Skills Challenge history. In 2003, Parker finished the course in 45.5 seconds.

Rose, however, made his two runs look easy, never using more than two attempts at any station in either round. He admitted, however, one station proved to be a little nerve-wracking.

“The bounce pass,” Rose said. “I knew when I got those two in, the crowd got to me and I came up a little short on my jump shots. I was scared a little bit.

“But the bounce pass was the hardest thing.”

In the championship round, Harris found the top of the key jumper to be the most difficult. Harris has shown an improved outside shot this season, but his stroke left him when it counted. He needed four attempts to sink the 20-footer.

Rose needed only two shots to complete the shooting station. And despite needing two passes to get through the outlet station, Rose had plenty of time to measure his funky dunk. Rose said he was inspired by a two-time Skills Challenge champ to finish off his win with flair.

“I always saw D-Wade [dunk] at the end,” Rose said.

Maybe next year, Rose can be the first player since Wade to go back-to-back.

“I really can’t wait,” Rose said. “Of course the season isn’t over with, but next year — this summer, I’ll work harder, work on my weaknesses and just go hard throughout the whole summer.”

(nba.com)

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