The season in Chicago began with plenty of hope and optimism, and even though injuries and poor chemistry derailed the Bulls’ quest, Derrick Rose is keeping a positive outlook on the future.
Rose remains as confident as ever, and says once his career comes to an end, fans and reporters will gain a better appreciation of what he accomplished—and more importantly, overcame.
The former NBA MVP has a year left on the five-year, $94.3 million rookie-scale extension he inked after winning the award.
Per the Chicago Tribune:
“I always say to myself that people are going to appreciate me after I’m done,” Rose said. “Especially the players in the future when they look back on my career. Hopefully they learn from some of the things that I achieved and how I achieved them. […] I sometimes feel people forget I’ve endured three surgeries, three rehabs. But even when I was younger, I always had the underdog mentality. People always would put people in front of me. I always had to fight my way to the top. […] In this league, having the success that I had so early and then having the injuries that I had, it kind of put me in the same place. I’m familiar with it. It’s not foreign ground. I’ve been here before and there’s nothing but hard work to get back to the top.”
Rose took several seconds to collect his thoughts when asked how much the eye injury affected his 2015-16 season. […] “For sure, it was a setback,” he said, finally. “I wouldn’t say it messed with me mentally. I was more hurt about the injury. I couldn’t see right for weeks. Mentally, I was always fine because I’ve been through so many injuries. Just sitting there being bored and not being able to do anything, that sucked. But I knew even then that hard work would take care of all this. All these injuries, I had to learn my body and know my body. I have to be the only one to determine when and when not to go. But I always thought that I was going to get back to the way that I played but even better. I love the way I’m playing, picking and choosing my spots. I love the way I’m playing on balance, not being reckless. And I love the pace that I’m playing with.”
Wherever Rose is playing beyond this contract, his confidence in unlikely to wane. […] “I feel I’m an All-Star right now,” Rose said. “I could go the rest of my career and not be an All-Star. But as long as I’m out there showing you how much I work on my game and helping the team win, that’s cool. I’m blessed to play. I realize that.”
