NBA News: Derrick Rose Responds To Fans Calling Him Soft


Fans of the Chicago Bulls have grown extremely frustrated with the injury issues that former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose has been dealing with for the past three seasons, and Bulls fans may have been put over the edge after Rose’s recent comments in response to angry fans calling him soft.

“I’m good, man,” Rose said when asked if he was satisfied with how he’s been playing so far this season. “I felt like I’ve been managing myself pretty good. I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don’t understand that when I sit out it’s not because of this year.”

Rose expanded on what he meant by saying he’s not just thinking about this year when he sits out.

“I’m thinking about long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. I’m just learning and being smart.”

Rose, who has talked about his future in the past, has never talked this openly and honestly about his mindset and approach to maintaining his health during the rest of his career and beyond.

Chicago sports fans weighed in on Rose’s comments, and were surprisingly negative towards the former MVP.

After initially spraining both of his ankles, Rose tweaked the injuries on November 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks and sat out the next two games. In Rose’s return against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night he looked good, as he scored 24 points and added 7 assists in 32 minutes of action.

“I feel good,” Rose said. “Just happy that I took the days off. Lifted a couple of days, really got some lifts in and got my body together and just try and continue to be positive and keep things going.”

Rose was asked if he was anywhere near 100 percent, and Rose said that he’s getting there and hopes to be back to his old self in the near-future.

“I think I’m close,” Rose said. “It’s just getting game-time reps. Everything you see that I’m doing now, adding the mid-range, adding the floater. I’m missing them right now, but at least I’m getting up those shots.”

“I know I’m going to have games where offensively I’m going to be great,” Rose continued. “But like Monday night at the end, missing them shots, and then still have the chance to really make a big change in the game when [coach Tom Thibodeau] gave me the opportunity to go isolation at the end. So things like that I’m just getting used to, but I just need the game experience.”

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls will take on the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, November 13 at 8 p.m. eastern time at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The game will be on TNT.

[Image via USA Today]

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