Derrick Rose is one of the league's best young players as he excites fans with his dazzling skills and his uncanny knack to getting to the basket. There are not many players in the NBA that can match Rose's speed and athleticism, something he always uses to his advantage.
But as we all know, Rose hit a major roadblock due to an injury.
Rose tore his ACL during the 2012 NBA Playoffs and is expected to miss part of the 2012-13 season due to rehab. The Bulls were considered the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference in 2012, but with Rose gone, the Bulls were ousted out in the first round.
As the Miami Heat went on to win the 2012 NBA championship, a team the Bulls were supposed to clash with in the conference finals, Rose wrote down his mindset heading into the next season as he saw the Heat become champions:
"The whole time the playoffs was going on I only watched a couple of games from every series, but I wasn't into it like I was if I was playing," Rose says, as footage of the Heat's title run flashes on a television screen in front of him. "I know that's going to push me to work even harder ... thinking of them winning the championship. It's just going to drive me and I know I'm gonna have another year."
Rose has great determination and confidence, all while staying very much humble.
Here's a young man who was on the quiet possibly on the verge on an NBA title, and lost it in an instant. Instead of being bitter about the situation, he uses it as fuel to drive towards his goal.
I respect that.
Once Rose returns I expect him to have another MVP like season. He's watched so much film and I feel he'll play smarter and with more control to avoid risking another injury. The time off will do the body good and his return will be well worth the wait.
He's such a good leader that when he is on the court and healthy, the Bulls are one of the best teams in the NBA.
