DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Joakim Noah wondered aloud why he was being asked about Derrick Rose's sex appeal.

[+] Enlarge

Courtesy Nick Friedell

Bulls guard Derrick Rose is all smiles as model Marisa Miller presents him with his nomination for being named one of the sexiest athletes in Chicago by Victoria's Secret.

Out of all the bizarre questions that the Bulls' center has fielded throughout his career, this had to be one of the strangest. The outspoken Florida alum really didn't know what to say. After a few seconds, a reporter chimed in with an explanation: "We don't get Victoria's Secret models on the practice floor here very often," referring to supermodel Marisa Miller, who was being interviewed just a few feet away.

"You sound pretty excited," Noah responded, as the small media horde around him started laughing. "Good for you."

It was not your average day at the Berto Center on Thursday afternoon, to say the least.

Miller was in town to present Rose with his nomination for being named one of the sexiest athletes in Chicago by Victoria's Secret. And it was clear right from the beginning that no matter how excited Rose and Co. were to see Miller, that paled in comparison to the excitement level from the media. As soon as the stunning blonde walked into the room, almost every single eye was on her. If professional teams were ever wondering how to pacify grumpy members of the media, just remember to bring a supermodel to practice every day.

One reporter wanted to know what made Rose sexy: "First of all, basketball is sexy, any athlete I think is sexy. They have talent," Miller responded. "I actually met Derrick last night, and he has these long eyelashes and some gorgeous eyes, so he's sexy."

As the Tribune's K.C. Johnson noted, that's probably the first time in recorded history that long eyebrows and gorgeous eyes have been part of a basketball team's practice notes.

[+] Enlarge

Nick Friedell

Marisa Miller poses in front of the Bulls' trophy case at the Berto Center.

Another reporter wanted to know how tough the choices in Chicago were (the other two nominees: the Bears' Brian Urlacher and the Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp).

"Chicago, you have some very sexy athletes, some very sexy hotels," Miller said. "Chicago is an amazing city, so it definitely was hard, the nominations were tough, but I feel Derrick is a very strong pick to win."

Next, a reporter wanted to know, "Besides the looks of a man, what goes into being sexy?"

"I think confidence is a big part of it," Miller responded "And, obviously, if you're an athlete, you have to have a mental toughness, you have to have stamina and a good physique, right?"

You get the idea.

The funny part in all of this is that Rose admitted that he didn't even know who the supermodel was until a few days ago. It wasn't until his friends and teammates started telling him about her that the happy-go-lucky 21 year-old finally took notice.

"At first, everybody was telling me about her. Then I was seeing pictures of her and I'm like, 'Man, she looks pretty good,'" Rose said with a smile.

She looked even better once the pair started shooting some baskets on the court. Miller actually drained her second shot from the foul line while Rose looked a little nervous with the 5-foot-8 stunner guarding him. They chatted a little bit on the floor, and at one point the supermodel (who noted that she was a basketball fan in her own right) asked about the reigning Rookie of the Year's injured ankle. He said he was fine and made sure he made a shot before leaving the floor one more time.

An appearance by a supermodel may rattle the media members in attendance, but the Bulls' superstar-in-the-making just takes it in stride.

"I'm young, [just] living it up right now," Rose said. "[I'm] just trying to do everything right, keep it positive."

Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted