Derrick Rose will back in Chicago this Friday for his first game against his old team, and the former Bulls point guard says there are no ill feelings towards his hometown squad.
Rose adds that he didn’t particularly care when the organization offered his No. 1 jersey number to Michael Carter-Williams (who turned it down.)
Derrick Rose didn't care that the Bulls gave out his jersey number — because he ditched that alter ego https://t.co/UfUrWcSgCT
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) November 1, 2016
The 2011 MVP says he has grown and matured from his dsays as a “reckless type of player.”
Per the NY Daily News:
“My brother told me about that. I really didn’t care. I really didn’t care,” Rose said. “That No. 1, that’s something in the past. That was a young, raw talent, reckless type of player. The player you see now, I think I’m more mature. I think that my IQ of the game got higher and I don’t have to do the things I did in the past with the team I have right now. I’d look crazy going out and shooting some of those shots that I took with the Bulls. So, there’s no need for that.”
The focus on improvement, Rose said, has allowed him to ignore the big game on Friday in Chicago. It will be his first time in the United Center as a visitor, no longer the Chicago native son who was supposed to bring the franchise back to glory.
“I haven’t even been thinking about it. I’m not even thinking about that. Only when probably when it’s gameday I’ll think about it. I’m just trying to win every game,” Rose said. “It’s no bad blood there, either. I understand this is a business and they made a business decision (to trade me). So on my end, all I got to do is stay prepared and focused on what’s ahead. […] It’s just going to be a regular game for me. People are making a big deal out of it because of the trade and like you said, me being from there and being traded here.”
