Derrick Rose’s story is one that fills you with sadness every time it comes to your mind. Things weren’t supposed to turn out this way for the youngest MVP in NBA history, who seemed destined to be one of the greats of the game. Fate, unfortunately, had different ideas as Rose would be ravaged by injuries for much of his career from 2012.
He tore the ACL in his left knee in the playoffs that year against the 76ers and took over a year to return to the court. Then, just over a month after his return, he tore his right meniscus in November of 2013 and would be ruled out for the rest of the season. He would suffer a meniscus tear on his right knee again in 2015 and then on his left in 2017, which made it 4 knee surgeries within his first 9 seasons in the NBA.
Derrick Rose Kept It Real When Asked If He Felt Like His Old Self Now That He’s Healthy
The injury bug just wouldn’t go away for Rose as something or the other just kept going wrong, but despite all those issues, he still managed to find a way to be effective when he did get on the court. It has been a joy to watch some of his great moments, like his epic 50-point outing against the Jazz a few years back, and we hope to get to see more special moments from Rose in the coming years. He is feeling pretty good about his body at the moment, too, as he recently stated that he hasn’t felt this healthy in a long time and that he has dropped his weight as well to what it was in his rookie season. Considering all of this, Rose was asked during media day if he felt a bit like his old self, but he kept it real.
(starts at 2:27 mark):
“Kinda but at the same time, the reality is I’m 33, turning 34 tomorrow. That guy that I used to be, even though I didn’t show it, had an ego. I been killed that ego a long time ago. So yeah I’m a totally different person, which I should be. I’m way more mature and still trying to challenge myself to be vocal and I think it is rubbing off on the young guys.”
We might see flashes of the old Rose here and there, but that guy is sadly never coming back. He was averaging 25 points per game when he won MVP in 2011, and while he is capable of having stretches where he scores in the 20s, as he did during his time with the Pistons, he can’t maintain it for the whole season.
It would be unfair to expect that from Rose as well, no matter how healthy he says he is. The Knicks, who gave him a 3-year, $43 million deal last year, aren’t expecting the old Rose to show up either, but they’ll be hoping he can stay upright as they look to return to the playoffs.
