One of the biggest stories to develop throughout the 2012-13 NBA season was Derrick Rose. After tearing his ACL during the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the main focus was when he would make his triumphant return to the court and help lead the Chicago Bulls in the postseason. Yet, the return never happened and the backlash began on Rose. While most of Chicago is not exactly happy with the All-Star, he is getting support from one person, Phil Jackson.
The NBA coach stopped by ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" to depend Rose's decision to sit for the entire season and get healthy after undergoing surgery to replace the torn ligament.
"Leave him alone. This is a guy who hopefully...still has another 10 years to play. Let's not put him in under duress that may not be the right time. He needs to have a training camp and go through the process of gearing up for another season the right way," Jackson said.
Jackson has not been the only one to back Rose's decision to sit out. His teammates and Chicago management all defended Rose, as did former players like Steve Kerr and Charles Barkley. Most said that since Rose was not able to participate in full-contact practices then he should not be allowed to play.
Rose continued to leave the door open for a return during the season. Speculation began to build that he might return during the team's series with the Miami Heat after they took a series lead over the Bulls. However, that never happened and Rose continued to wear a suit on the bench.
Rose is considered to be a franchise player for the Bulls. Jackson knows a thing or two about keeping franchise players healthy. He reigned over the Bulls during the Michael Jordan era when the team won six titles in eight years. He also guarded Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the team to five titles.
"I know that ownership in Chicago must have been like, 'We'd love him to play, but if he doesn't that's OK, because we have somebody who's a prime mover for the next 10 years or so,"Jackson said.
