With all that Derrick Rose has been through and had to endure injury wise, it’s hard to imagine him playing…well, we don’t know how long he’ll play, but you know he’s not going to be around forever. He’s currently 26, so if he’s still playing after age 30, it would have to be considered quite a feat.
If the Bulls can get two or three more good years out of Derrick Rose, it’s got to be viewed as a huge win. He’s certainly not going to be playing for a decade or anything like that.
If that seems like it’s selling Rose short consider quality of life. Forget about Derrick Rose the professional basketball player and look at Derrick Rose the human being first. With all the damage that’s been done to his news already, and all the added wear and tear to come when he returns to the game, think of the long term consequences,
No matter what happens with his return and his career moving forward, there’s likely a lot of arthritis, pain and general soreness in his future. Not to mention the mental and psychological effects that come with having to undergo a serious medical procedure on three different occasions in your youth. (My family, friends and caregivers at Rush University Medical Center, the same hospital where Rose had his work done, can vouch for that, they’ve seen how my personality has changed forever due to medical hardship)
So put yourself in the shoes of Derrick Rose, how long would you continue playing? Then think of the money he’s already earned and the money that’s owed to him. How much longer would you play? Yes, Derrick Rose loves the game the way anyone who has “a career” and not “a job” loves what they do. I’d be crestfallen if told I couldn’t write anymore. Same goes for you if you have a career that you love. The cliche is true- do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
However, when Derrick Rose returns in April, enjoy what you see. Appreciate his game before it’s gone. I get the Derrick Rose to Mark Prior comparisons- both were hailed as the next huge thing and the man who would redeem the franchise. Both have shown us how extremely injury prone they are.
I get the Derrick Rose to Penny Hardaway comparisons. Both are franchise players at the one. Both suffered similar injuries and weren’t quite the same afterward. Rose has even drawn some comparisons to Grant Hill; understandable given the nature of the injury.
But make no mistake Derrick Rose is the next Derrick Rose and what will become of him will be his own unique story. That said, the most apt comparison is not Prior, Penny or Hill; it’s Brandon Roy.
Both Rose and Roy won rookie of the year, all-star, all-NBA honors etc. at around the same age and very early in their careers. Both had multiple knee injuries (and very similar injuries at that) at or around the same age. The career arcs are pretty similar.
Both were dominant players that shared some characteristics in their game. Obviously, Roy played the two and was more a shooter and less an aggressive attacking the rim player than Rose, but you get the idea.
Hopefully, for the sake of Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls and Bulls fans everywhere his story has a much more positive ending than Roy’s did.
Let’s hope Derrick Rose has a much longer and more fruitful career.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. You can read Banks’ feature stories and op-eds in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and hear his regular guest spots on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)