Jalen was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Southwestern High School and the University of Michigan. In college he was part of the legendary “Fab Five”. The first team in Final Four history to ever start five freshmen, they led the Wolverines to back-to-back NCAA Championship game appearances. In 1994, Jalen was drafted in the first round by the Denver Nuggets and went on to be a fan favorite in the NBA for 13 seasons. In 2003, he was honored with the Professional Basketball Writers Association Magic Johnson Award. Jalen was inducted into the Detroit High School Hall of Fame in 2013 and Michigan Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

While many basketball stars make the transition to the small screen after they hang up their basketball kicks, Jalen made the bold leap in the midst of his NBA career in 2002, becoming a multi-faceted reporter for BET Mad Sports and an on-air personality for Fox Sports Net’s famed Best Damn Sports Show Period. After retiring from basketball in 2007, Jalen began working as an ABC/ESPN analyst and show host appearing on numerous shows including SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, Get Up and Jalen & Jacoby.

In 2000, Jalen established the Jalen Rose Foundation/Charitable Fund to create life-changing opportunities for underserved youth through the development of unique programs and the distribution of grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. Grants focus on education and sports and are distributed in Jalen’s hometown of Detroit as well as other communities in need.

Jalen’s most substantial outreach initiative to date is the establishment of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA) in the zip code where he grew up. The Academy opened its doors in September 2011 and is an open enrollment, tuition free, public charter high school on the Northwest side of Detroit. Focused on a 9-16 model (to and through college), the Post-Secondary Success Team works ceaselessly with over 400 current scholars and nearly 900 alumni. JRLA boasts a 98% graduation rate with 100% of the Academy’s graduates gaining college, trade/technical school or military acceptance. In addition, JRLA currently ranks as a top open enrollment high school in the City of Detroit for college matriculation. Not only is Jalen the founder, he also serves as the President of the Board of Directors.

All children should have the opportunity to achieve at a high level, which starts with a great education. Unfortunately, funding a public charter high school is not an easy task, especially in Detroit where state funding is limited which causes an annual budget gap. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools do not receive funding to purchase, improve or expand facilities which causes financial challenges to provide appropriate accommodations.

A philanthropist who truly gives from the heart, Jalen has personally donated nearly $2 million via his charitable fund and to support his charter school in Detroit. He works tirelessly to raise funds so that his scholars can have equal access to a quality education and is currently leading a $10 Million capital campaign for expansion efforts.