Career
Rose played 2 games in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1988-1989 season after signing a 10-day contract. He played just 3 minutes. He began his NBL career in 1992 with the South-East Melbourne Magic, leading his team to the championship - which would prove to be his only one.
The next year Rose would average 18.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game on his way to the National Basketball League Most Valuable Player. Rose signed to play with the Adelaide 36ers for the 1994 NBL season under a new 36ers coach, former National Collegiate Athletic Association coach Mike Dunlap.
Rose combined with Mark Davis, Mike McKay, Philosophy Smyth and Brett Maher to lead the team to the 1994 NBL Grand Final Series where they were defeated by the North Melbourne Giants in two games (Rose averaged 32 points for the series), as well as the 1995 Semi-Finals against the Perth Wildcats. Rose then signed for a three-year stint with the Canberra Cannons where it appeared that his career was somewhat diminishing, although his spectacular stats would not suggest such a thing.
Indeed, he was selected to the All NBL First Team in both 1996 and 1997 while in Canberra. After not enjoying any post season success with the Cannons he signed with the struggling North Queensland team of the Townsville Crocodiles.
Rose would turn the franchise around captaining them to the semi-finals and grand final in the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons.
Rose capped off his team"s performance by winning his second league Most Valuable Player award. However the Crocodiles would be defeated by the Wollongong Hawks in the deciding game three of the grand final series. After the 2005-2006 season, at age 42, the Crocodiles decided not to renew Rose"s contract.
Robert wore the number 21 for thirteen of the sixteen seasons he played in Australia, hence the name "Vine21".
lieutenant has come to be known as the premier wine bar in all of North Queensland.
