Chicago: Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski on Monday said Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose's loss will be a big one to overcome when the team defends their Olympic title in London.
Rose, who tore his ACL against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their opening round NBA playoff series, was pivotal to USA's victory in the World Championships in 2010. The Bulls point guard, who saw his top-ranked team suffer a 4-2 loss to the eighth-seeded 76ers, is expected to be out for 6-9 months.
"I love Derrick. He helped us win a world championship in Istanbul (in 2010)," Krzyzewski said during the Team USA media summit. "He's our starting point guard. I thought he grew a lot from that experience. He's somebody in the future I know will be a point guard for our Olympic team.
"He's a team player. No one pushes the ball down the court any quicker than he does. He can be an outstanding defensive player. Our hearts go out to him. It was a big loss for our team. Hopefully the surgery he had just a day or so ago will be proven to be very successful."
Krzyzewski, who said the London Olympics will be his last as the National team coach, has been given an extension to name his final team for the Olympics after several players in the initial 30-man roster have suffered injuries. The date for naming the final roster has been moved from June 18 to July 8.
Team USA won the gold medal in Beijing with a hard-fought 118-107 win over Spain four years ago.
