Rocking a red Chicago Bulls sweat suit and a pair of crutches, point guard Derrick Rose sat down with the media for the first time since undergoing his second knee surgery in less than two years, and being declared lost for the season once again. He wasn't side-stepping the questions either.
“I'm not done,” an emotionless Rose said on NBA TV, "…of course when you’re living in the moment …you just don’t understand certain things…but 10 years into the future, this will be minor.”
Having had some time to gather his bearings after undergoing successful surgery, Rose is chilling with a positive vibe, knowing he will be back and healthy one day.
One reporter had the sacks to basically ask Rose if the Bulls should give up on him after tearing up his knee in 2012 and now a torn meniscus. Is he damaged goods?
Rose responded with the Chi-Town confidence that has made him an NBA MVP and a giant among ballers. “You can be a fool if you want too,” he said.
Rose went on to praise his teammates and the Bulls organization for “making him as comfortable as possible.” He says that they send him food and encouraging texts on the regular. He actually flashed a smile when he spoke of that aspect of his ordeal. It’s like he was embarrassed to be receiving so much love and attention from his squad, with him being incapacitated and unable to lend anything more than a high five, pat on the back and some sound advice.
And unlike last season, when Rose’s brother threw his Bulls teammates under the bus, Rose said he has great confidence in his current squad. He said he would never go out and recruit a big-name free agent to come to the Windy City, because he feels like a “hooper’s job is too hoop,” not make personnel decisions.“I’ll play with anybody,” Rose said.
Rose’s refusal to suit up in last year’s playoffs set off a firestorm of opinion. Big Bro Reggie Rose got involved, some media pundits blasted D. Rose as selfish and the ordeal strained his relationship with his hometown. However, the riff didn’t last long, as it was fueled by the fans desire to see Rose back on. All was forgiven upon his 2013 return.
When asked about the possibility of returning for this year’s playoffs, Rose didn’t totally shut the idea down, saying, “If I’m healthy and the situation is right, anything is possible.”
Not sure why he would open the door to four more months of speculation, but I guess he had to throw the NBA community a bone and keep hope alive for Bulls fans before he disappears into rehab hibernation.
Those are words that could come back to bite Rose in the long run, but he let it be known he’s in it for the long haul. He expressed himself with the same positive attitude, tenaciousness and toughness he flexes on the hardwood. “I could hurt myself ten more times, “Rose insisted. “I’m never going to stop.”
