MILWAUKEE -- Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is excited about facing fellow Simeon Career Academy alum, and Milwaukee Bucks rookie, Jabari Parker, for the first time as a professional Saturday night, but Rose admits that it's going to be a "weird" experience.

"It's going to be weird at first," Rose told ESPNChicago.com after Saturday's shootaround. "I've never been on the court with him. But at the same time, it should be exciting. I haven't seen none of their games, I haven't seen him play in a long time because I just haven't been watching film like that or I haven't been watching games like that -- and I'm excited, man. Just to go at it, see what he learned, and really just to play against him."

Rose acknowledges that he will be feeling a lot of pride Saturday as two of Simeon's most famous alums square off. It's not often that two players from the same high school make it to such a high level in professional basketball.

"It's a lot of pride," Rose said. "Especially when it comes to just knowing what he's trying to accomplish. He's trying to be great and I'm trying to, too. And coming from the same background, we kind of got the same discipline. We take basketball very serious. We don't get sidetracked, it seems like he's not sidetracked by anything else outside of basketball. It seems like he's focused, so I'm just happy to see that he made it to this level and if anything, he should give the kids back at [Simeon] hope."

Parker shared Rose's sentiments.

"It will be something like a first," Parker said before the game. "It will be the first time in a while since I've been on the floor with him so it will be something nice."

Parker said he left a ticket for Simeon head coach Robert Smith so that the pair's high school coach could enjoy the action in person.

"Yeah, it's special to me and it's also special for my coach," Parker said. "He'll be there today, too. I hooked him up."

Rose, who was a freshman at Simeon the first time he encountered Parker, still remembers that initial meeting.

"He was still at grammar school," Rose said. "He came up to the school but he wasn't able to play with us at the time because I think I was on the sophomore team. My sophomore year, that's when he came and started playing with us."

While Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history during the 2010-11 season, Parker was busy following in Rose's footsteps at Simeon -- leading his team to four consecutive state championships and earning a host of national awards in the process. Both Rose and Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau are looking forward to seeing how Parker's game develops over time.

"He's unique because he's highly skilled," Thibodeau said of the 19-year-old Parker. "I think he has a great feel for the pro game. He can play the 3, the 4, he's comfortable away from the basket, put it on the floor, you can put him in the post. He's not afraid of the big moments. I think he's going to be a great pro."

Like Thibodeau, Rose didn't think there was a comparison for Parker's game.

"I think he's his own player," Rose said. "I don't like to compare players like that, but I think he's got his own type of style of game. People try to compare him to [Carmelo Anthony], but him and Melo, besides him shooting mid-range jump shots, they're jump-shot shooters. I don't think that their game is like the same. I think that they're different players. I think he's got his own type of game and who knows where he'll be in a couple of years."

As for their relationship, the 26-year-old Rose says he and Parker aren't best friends, but he is clearly proud of Parker's success.

"I've talked to him a few times," Rose said. "Our relationship isn't ... I wouldn't say we're best friends or anything, but when I see him, I make sure I talk to him, just telling him to be patient. If I was one of his teammates, I know I would be telling him to work on nothing but agility stuff, like stuff that's going to make him a matchup problem on the outside. I think it starts with footwork, I think the ladder and the agility type workouts will help his game, but I'm not his teammate so ..."

No matter how much time the pair spends speaking before the game, it figures to be a special night for both Simeon and the city of Chicago as a whole.

"I think Chicago is a great basketball city," Thibodeau said. "If you study high school basketball, there may not be a better city in the country. It's amazing when you look at it, the rich history of Chicago high school basketball -- all the guys that have gone on to college and then of course all the guys who have gone on to the pros is pretty amazing. Then you have a school like Simeon where you have high draft picks and dominant-type players. It says a lot. That pipeline is always full and they keep coming. It's great. I think it's what makes the city such a great basketball city. We have great fans that are very knowledgeable, but I think it's the passion for the game in high school, college, pros, it's terrific."

Rose always takes pride in his hometown, but he believes a lot of his and Parker's success can be traced to how their families raised them.

"I wouldn't say it's [just about] Chicago basketball," Rose said. "It's just how we was brought up. We brought that mentality where it was tough growing up in Chicago. It was never back down and we just brought that mentality to basketball. We were able to play basketball and still have that mentality of not backing down. I think that's what all Chicago basketball is all about, not backing down."