Detroit, MI
Jalen Rose launches acting career in new Detroit-based TV show
Did San Antonio Spurs expose worrying trend for Detroit Pistons?
Omari Sankofa II breaks down what he learned from the Detroit Pistons’ loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, Feb. 23, 2026, in Detroit.
Jalen Rose’s career started on the hardwood and transitioned to media as a sports analyst.
Now, the 53-year-old Detroit native is returning to the camera – in a different capacity.
Rose’s acting career launched officially Monday, Feb. 23, when his new show “South West High” premiered on Tubi. In it, he plays a former professional basketball player named Nolan Thomas who becomes the principal of his former Detroit-based high school.
If the premise sounds familiar, it’s because the story closely mirrors Rose’s own. He’s an alumnus of Detroit’s now-shuttered Southwestern High School, and starred at Michigan as a member of the iconic “Fab Five” before spending 13 seasons in the NBA. Rose also leads Detroit’s Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, founded in 2011.
The sitcom is created by Same Page Entertainment, Rose’s recently-launched Detroit-based multimedia company co-founded with Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores.
“We’re really excited about highlighting the sacrifices that educators make, the challenges that students overcome but also some of the amazing stories of young people who are doing what they can to make their goals happen,” Rose told reporters at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night, before the Pistons’ 114-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. “We’re really excited about Same Page Entertainment and really excited for South West High.”
The show, partially filmed at JRLA, features plenty of Detroit flavor. It’s executively produced by Rose and Detroit-based designer Ty Mopkins, a longtime friend of Rose and fellow Southwestern alumnus.
Legendary Detroit rapper Royce da 5’9″ is the show’s music coordinator and co-produced the soundtrack.
“South West High” consists of five hour-long episodes that premiere each Monday, and is the first of several projects in the pipeline from Same Page Entertainment. It also is planning Rose’s new audio/video podcast, a documentary on the McDonald’s All-American Games and a new content studio in downtown Detroit.
“I’ve been on the phone with my attorney, he’s like, ‘You know you could just make Florida your residence and you can save on your taxes,’” Rose said. “‘What you’re spending on taxes in Detroit, you could actually buy a place in Florida.’ That’s a message that I can show you on my phone that I get every year, actually. But it’s so very important for me to be 10 toes down here and never change my driver’s license, not just be somebody that says ‘What’s up doe’ and wears an Old English D hat but actually lives here, puts on from here, employs people from here, boss up everywhere I go, represent our city and build a company here.
“There’s so many people here that depict Detroit but aren’t necessarily from here, live here or do it from here. It’s very important for [Gores] and for me to have a multimedia company that’s stationed in Detroit that’s going to highlight some of the amazing talent we have here.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
Make Omari’s podcast “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons show, and listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or live on the Free Press’ YouTube page.
As a team, the Detroit Lions have a ton to prove this season.
After taking a step back in 2025 for the first time in the Dan Campbell era, doubt is starting to creep in both within Detroit and from the national audience. It hasn’t been a splashy offseason, and with some drama surrounding the departures of Alex Anzalone, Taylor Decker, and Terrion Arnold, the vibes have certainly been off.
Proving the doubters wrong starts at an individual level, and there are plenty of Lions players who must use this season to turn their career around or show that they belong in Detroit.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions player has the most to prove in 2026?
My answer: On offense, one name jumps to the top of the list for me: Christian Mahogany.
After his rookie season, it looked like the Lions may have found a gem in Mahogany. While he only played a handful of games, the fifth-round pick finished the season on a high note, projecting to be the team’s left guard of the future. Unfortunately, 2025 was filled with injuries and subpar play. Mahogany will have to compete with Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier just to win back his starting job, but the bar should be higher than that. He needs to prove he can be a potential high-end starter again, because the bar is very high when it comes to offensive line expectations in Detroit.
On defense, the list is much longer, but I think the most pressure is on Derrick Barnes. With Anzalone now gone, Barnes will be expected to not only be a full-time starter, but take on multiple roles. He needs to take his pass rush, coverage skills, and even edge setting to a new level and justify the three-year, $24 million extension he was given. If he succeeds, the Lions defense has a chance to bounce back in 2026. If he fails, it seems unlikely Barnes will reach the final year on his contract, which includes a hefty $6.145 million option bonus.
Which Lions players do you think have the most to prove in the 2026 season? Share your answers in the comment section below.
After being selected No. 53 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, Ugonna Onyenso signed a two-way deal with the Detroit Pistons.
Amid speculation of a possible Jalen Duren departure, the Detroit Pistons signed recent No. 53 overall pick Ugonna Onyenso to a two-way contract following the 2026 NBA Draft. Considering Detroit finished atop the Eastern Conference last year, playing time may be tough to come by for Onyenso; however, that doesn’t change his status as an intriguing prospect.
Despite nearly falling out of the draft entirely, the Virginia product was viewed as one of the top shot-blocking prospects, standing at 7’0″ with a 7’5″ wingspan. Last season in the ACC, Onyenso had a block percentage of 17.4 and averaged 2.9 blocks in less than 20 minutes per game. In the ACC Tournament, Onyenso gained notariety for his defensive prowess, averaging seven blocks per game in a three-game span, including nine blocks against Cameron Boozer and Duke.
For these reasons, Onyenso has potential to carve out a solid career as a defensive specialist if given the opportunity.
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