Clean Living Propels Warren Rosegreen's Game On And Off The Court
Rosegreen at the 2016 National Tournament in Las Vegas
If you watch Warren Rosegreen play in the Ultimate Hoops League in Las Vegas, you might think that he’s a player who just finished college. Or maybe he’s a guy who is in really good shape for his early 30s.
No, Rosegreen is 42 — about 10 years older than he appears. Two decades after his playing career at UNLV ended, Warren is still dunking at Life Time, still killing opponents with his floater, and still maintaining about seven percent body fat.
What’s the secret?
“I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I never did anything like that,” Rosegreen said. “Clean living, and I eat pretty well... I don’t put a lot of bad stuff in my body. I stretch well, too. If we have a game at 7:15, then I am at the game at 6:15 to stretch and go through my routine. That has helped a lot. People don’t believe I’m 42.”
Prior to UNLV, Rosegreen was a rebounding machine for Chaffey Community College in Rancho Cuchamonga, Ca. He put up crazy double-double averages both years he was there, logging 15 PPG and 14 RPG as a freshman (the latter of which led all junior college players in California). His sophomore year was even more productive, averaging 18 PPG and 16.5 RPG and leading the entire nation in rebounding. He still holds the California junior college record for boards.
After two years in California, Rosegreen landed at UNLV where he nearly averaged a double-double for his career.
“They didn’t run plays for me, I was a slasher and a great rebounder,” Rosegreen reflected. “From there, I finished my degree and played pro ball in Korea. I was an all-star and the slam dunk champion two years in a row. I also played in the Philippines, Italy, France, and the Harlem Globetrotters for a couple years.”
These days, Rosegreen has his hands full with his two children who are five and 10 months old. He’s happily married and sells real estate, where he has seen plenty of success in the always-growing Las Vegas area. He also spends his free time mentoring area kids, something that he has done for 14 years. More than 60 children have benefitted from Rosegreen’s example of clean living and leadership over the years.
“To keep me going physically, mentally and emotionally, I deal with young kids, doing private basketball lessons and teaching them toughness,” Rosegreen said. “When I was thinking of slowing down with the mentoring, one of my friends said that if I spent more time in real estate that I’d make way more money. I thought about it until one of the parents of my kids said that three or four of them have written school essays about me and how I changed their life, how I don’t drink or do drugs. That made me realize that no matter what, I can’t stop, because you never know who you’ll touch.”
“I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I never did anything like that. People don’t believe I’m 42-years-old”
Between all of his family, business and volunteer obligations, Rosegreen lives a full life. And when he needs a good basketball run to clear his head, he knows that he can always get one at his local Life Time Fitness club during Ultimate Hoops season.
Combining the efficiency of his game with his overall health, we can’t imagine that Rosegreen will slow down on the court anytime soon.
“The biggest thing I’ve been able to master is how basketball is all about angles,” Rosegreen added. “I’m shooting 75 percent over the last two months in Ultimate Hoops because of the consistency of my floater... I know how to hit the angles. I’m about protecting the ball, conserving energy to play more defense and getting the ball in the hole. It keeps me sharp.”
Rosegreen's Career UH League Numbers. (view full profile)