Chicago Bulls injured superstar Derrick Rose said it would be foolish to count him as damaged goods, saying, “You could be a fool if you want to. Dead serious. I know I’m going to be all right. I believe that I’m a special player. I think people love the way that I just play. I don’t try to impress anyone while I’m playing or anything. I’ve just got a feel for the game. I know my story is far from done.”
Rose is recovering from his second major knee surgery in less than two years, a torn medial meniscus to his right knee during a three-point loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland on November 22, after sitting out all of last season recuperating from a torn ACL in his left knee. But the superstar guard, who was criticized in some circles for not returning last season, said he had not ruled out returning this season.
”If I’m healthy and the situation is right, I will be back playing,” Rose said. ”If I’m healthy and my meniscus is fully healed, of course I’ll be out there playing. But if it’s something totally different and the outcome is not how I would want it to be, there’s no need.”
But the Bulls do not seem to be holding out hope.
”Right now, it’s been determined that he’s out for the season,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. ”So that’s the way we’re going to approach. If something changes later on, we’ll adjust then.”
Rose has played in just 50 NBA games, one playoff game in which he tore his ACL, since the Bulls’ run to the conference finals during his MVP season.
Rose averaged 15.9 points this season, but was shooting just over 35 percent. But he said he was “catching a rhythm” of how he used to play before his injury. “I think I was getting in condition more than anything for this season,” he said. “For this one to happen, just from me turning and running back down the court, there’s nothing I can say about it, nothing I can do about it, but just take it, be strong.”
