Derrick Rose continues to inspire us
Any basketball fan, NBA player, analyst and Hall of Famer who watched Derrick Rose explode for 50 points last night against the Utah Jazz would have definitely found it hard to hold back their tears.
Vintage D-Rose was on full display last night as the Minnesota Timberwolves earned a hard-fought 128-125 victory without the services of All-Star Jimmy Butler and point guard Jeff Teague.
Rose certainly looked like his former self, the 2011 NBA MVP who would instill fear in even the best defensive teams with his offensive prowess.
He had 16 points at halftime but turned on the jets in the second half and really caused havoc in the Jazz's defense. He sped up the court, dazzled the crowd while dribbling past players and found open teammates for easy field goals.
That's the Rose all of us would love to watch once upon a time. Unfortunately, devastating knee injuries derailed Rose's career.
He first suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the 2012 NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers in game 1 followed by a torn meniscus in his right knee in a regular season game against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2014. He then had two more surgeries to fix lingering knee issues in 2015 and 2016.
Rose signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 25th, 2017 at a veteran's minimum contract but it gave him his best shot at a championship playing alongside the best player on the planet, LeBron James.
Unfortunately for Rose he suffered an ankle injury during the second month of the season and left the team on the 24th of November, 2017 to re-evaluate his future in the NBA as he grew increasingly frustrated with the injuries that had taken a big toll on his body and mind.
He finally returned on the 18th of January to the Cavaliers lineup and stated his desire to continue playing.
In February 2018 the Cavaliers were struggling with their current lineup and were not performing to the level expected of them and decided to make some trades.
One of the players traded was Rose who was acquired by the Utah Jazz but was waived by the team just two days later.
Things looked bad for Rose and it looked like this could very well be the end of a career that had greatness written all over it and could have cemented Rose's place among the top five point guards to ever play in the league.
But then one team took a chance on Rose, the Minnesota Timberwolves and they reunited him with coach Tom Thibodeau, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson.
Rose played well in his first season with the Timberwolves averaging 14.2 points per game and was the only bright spot for the team in the playoffs where they were eliminated by the Houston Rockets 4-1.
After an impressive first season, Rose re-signed with the Timberwolves and has made a strong start to the season so far averaging 17.0 points per game coming off the bench in nine games played so far.
His goal this season is to win the sixth man of the year award and if he continues to play the way he is doing currently he will definitely accomplish that goal.
Rose has been written off many times by critics, he never seems to catch a break from injuries and he will never be the same player he once was.
He could have easily retired and earned all the money from his multi-million dollar endorsements but Rose never gave up. He keeps coming back and always wants to show the world that he still has a lot left in the tank.
That is why the NBA world loves him and respects what he brings to the game. He shows us that no matter what happens in life, no matter how hard you fall, it is important to dust yourself off, get back up and hit the ground running again. Derrick Rose is truly one of the most inspirational stories you will find league history.