“I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don’t understand that when I sit out it’s not because of this year. I’m thinking about long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore. Or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. (I’m) just learning and being smart.”
That was Derrick Rose back in mid-November, responding to widespread criticism for sitting out four of his team’s previous five games with a nagging ankle sprain. If only current concerns related to the Chicago Bulls’ superstar were restricted to such thoughtful yet incendiary soundbites.
Rose reported to practice yesterday with pain in his right knee. Upon further testing and a confirmed diagnosis from team doctors, the Bulls announced that their point guard would undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus and be sidelined indefinitely.
This is a crushing blow for Rose and his team. Despite underwhelming this season compared to so many glowing summer and early fall suggestions of a regain to past form, his campaign could be considered nothing less than a concrete success until Tuesday’s news. Rose has played 46 of Chicago’s 57 games in 2014-2015, and boasts a season-best string of 19 consecutive appearances that will be broken when the Bulls host the Charlotte Hornets tonight.
Any delusions of championship contention that Tom Thibodeau’s team harbors in the wake of Rose’s looming absence are just that. Perhaps in the Eastern Conference of early December could Chicago reign supreme, but it’s a different world 10 weeks later – the Atlanta Hawks are elite and the Cleveland Cavaliers are nipping at their talons. The Bulls will be a tough out come April and May due to the emergence of Jimmy Butler, addition of Pau Gasol, and a potentially rejuvenated defense spearheaded by Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.
But Chicago isn’t winning a championship this season, a reality that seemed obvious even during Rose’s brief renaissance leading up to the All-Star break. Now, its chances of doing so align closely with those of other teams sitting just above the East’s underwhelming middle class.
That surface-level assessment, however, is hardly the most important takeaway to be gleaned from Rose’s latest setback. This is no longer about basketball, specifically, as much as a young man making the unenviable choice of living life without his first love or without the pain that seems to be an inevitable consequence of indulging it. And for all those pointing to former athletes living relatively comfortable middle-age lives despite returning to play from multiple surgeries, it bears reminding that Rose’s suffering surely extends beyond the physical realm.
We’re not privy to any intel that suggests the 25 year-old is considering retirement just as he should be entering his playing prime. There even a exists a slim possibility that Rose will appear in the playoffs depending on the severity of his latest meniscus tear, too.
But the perspective Rose has exhibited throughout his nearly four years of injury and rehabilitation makes it easy to assume the prospect of hanging it up has crossed his mind regardless. Despite facing so much scrutiny for sitting out the entirety of 2012-2013, a majority of 2013-2014, and several games in which he might have been technically healthy enough to play this season, Rose’s commitment to himself and process to long-term recovery has been steadfast.
If the past few seasons have proven one thing about Chicago’s native son other than his brittle bones, it’s that he’ll always stay true to himself. And considering that he publicly cited his desire for a healthy post-basketball life four months ago when such optimism seemed a more likely scenario, it’s fair to wonder how many more injuries it will take for Rose to cut his losses and call it quits.
When does the reality of present and future discomfort meet the unfortunate epiphany that another tear or brake is always looming on the horizon? And is Rose willing to let that clash materialize as opposed to ensuring that it never gets the chance to occur?
He’s a father. A businessman. A leader in the Chicago community. And though basketball is the vehicle that drove him to two of those positions, Rose has already achieved them; sponsorships won’t flee and neither will Chicagoans should he eventually elect against continuing to play.
The other thing to remember here is that Rose has never been anything less than a superstar on the court. This season was the closest he’s come to mere mortal, and there were nightly flashes of the preternatural ability that made him the 2011 MVP.
Following additional wear and tear as a result of going under the knife yet again, conventional wisdom suggests Rose’s most viable role for the Bulls – or any other team, actually – would be performed in the periphery. And while other former superstars like Grant Hill have adjusted to thrive in role-playing parts, Rose’s basketball id is a direct affront to that seachange.
He’s an attacker. The mentality that made him such a force before his initial injury in April 2012 has contributed to each subsequent one, and could presumably be among many aspects that limits his potential effectiveness. Rose isn’t a great shooter nor the natural floor general his position suggests, either. Would he really be able to take a backseat and give a player like Butler keys to the car if asked to do so?
We’re dubious.
We’re also looking ahead, though. It’s remiss to weigh the choices Rose will face throughout his career’s duration until a timeline for his latest recovery is revealed.
However, Tuesday’s news just makes it harder than ever to keep an eye on the present – not just because it’s difficult to watch, but because the future suddenly looks so depressingly familiar. Instead of gazing at spring to Chicago facing Cleveland or seasons ahead to gauge the Bulls’ long-term title hopes, the basketball world is leering at a time of even more uncertainty for one of its best players.
And no matter what Rose decides going forward, we simply hope he gains a sense of finality that’s again proven far too fleeting.
