Derrick Rose: What could have been...

Career ending injuries are nothing new to sports culture. There are so many players that never got the chance to have a successful career in his or her sport due to one unlucky play. This is both tragic for the player, the team, and also the fans. The reason I mention the fans is because they are left with questions that will never be answered, the biggest question being, “What if?” I myself have asked myself this question for many players such as Tracy McGrady or Grant Hill, but one player represents the epitome of injuries: Derrick Rose.

As the number one high school player in the nation in 2006, the sky was the limit for this kid. After high school Rose went to the University of Memphis and played under John Claipari. He played one year at Memphis and was drafted first overall by his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. Within his first career season he was named rookie of the year and later became the youngest player ever to be awarded the NBA most valuable player award at age 22. Rose was at the top of the NBA and no one could stop him, until a cloud of tragedy befell the young star.

Following his MVP season, Rose suffered several problems with his knee. During the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs, Rose tore his ACL in his left knee against the Philadelphia 76ers. This event caused him to miss the entire 2012-2013 season and also forced him to undergo surgery. Chicago fans prayed that this was the end of his misfortune and would come back stronger than ever, but sadly it started a snowball effect of injuries for the young player.

As someone like Derrick Rose that relies on his athleticism to perform, these injuries hindered his production for the Chicago Bulls. During his MVP season, Rose averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds and his following season he had similar statistics, so the young point guard had the potential to become great. However, after his first devastating injury, Rose went from averaging 25 points to mearly 16 points. It clearly shows that the injury played a toll not only on his abilities, but also his confidence.

Before his injury, Derrick Rose was a top tier player. Relying on his athleticism, Rose was able to explode to the rim like no other player before. Standing at only 6’3”, he had the ability to fly through the air and dunk over nearly any defender. In a sense, he was the Russell Westbrook before Russell Westbrook. If Rose hadn’t suffered a tear in his ACL, who know what kind of player he could’ve been. People still argue whether he is the greatest Bulls player since Michael Jordan! After his injury, Rose stayed with the Bulls averaging until 2016 when he was traded to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon, and Jerian Grant. The most recent team he played for was the Cleveland Cavaliers where he only averaged 10 points a game, but he was recently traded to the Utah Jazz where his contract was bought out. As a free agent now, it is likely we are close to the end of Derrick Rose’s NBA career. It is so sad to see a young player with such a high ceiling for potential go down with such a horrible injury. Now we are left with wondering what could have happened, but we will never be satisfied with an answer.