Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose has prided himself on being a team-first star,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], indeed a rare breed in the NBA. And, for the most part, there were few who questioned that notion for the better part of four years.

So, in his fifth season, when Rose was faced with the decision of returning to the team or staying away to focus on himself, it was surprising to see Rose choose himself. It wasn't any east decision to come to, Rose said in an interview with the Chicago Bulls' team website ().

“I’m not a selfish guy at all,” Rose told the website. “But having this injury and knowing what I had to go through and being smart, this is something I had to be selfish with. I couldn’t worry about anyone else but myself and my health.”
Rose suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and missed the Bulls' entire season, one that ended with a second-round loss to the Miami Heat in the second round. Along the way, Rose picked up critics and skeptics as he sat on the sidelines in street clothes.
He was cleared to play by the team in March and practiced with the team,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], yet he hadn't even attempted to suit up for a game. There was video of Rose dunking and taking shots prior to Bulls games at United Center and on the road. Seeing the work wasn't enough,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], though, and Rose came under fire. He spoke about his personal experience of sitting out and watching as his team played out the season.
“It was hard, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through in my life,” Rose said. “After surgery when you start running . . . when you have an injury like this there are stages you have to go through. I’m still going through my stages. I’m not done yet. This is the most I ever worked on my craft and most focused I’ve ever been in my NBA career.”
As he worked to return, Rose never ruled himself out for the season, which fueled the belief that he could return at some point late in the season or during the playoffs. Time kept ticking, though, and Rose remained on the sidelines.
“Every day I was working out like my leg is going to feel better,” Rose said. “I was pushing myself every day, eating right, just trying to take care of my body so I could be out there as soon as possible. It didn’t happen.”
There were reports that he practiced with the team and looked capable of returning, but Rose maintained that he wasn't mentally prepared to play let,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and he explained why that time on the practice gym didn't equate to a quick return.
“When you’re in practice, of course it’s not game-like speed unless it’s like training camp,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],” Rose said. “Game-like experience is totally different. You have strategies. You have double-teams. When I play, I get double-teamed a lot. (In practice), we play the same defense we play in the game so there weren’t any double-teams. I was able to roam around freely.”
Another factor was the fractured state of the Bulls roster, with Joakim Noah playing through plantar fasciitis, and Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich missing portions of the playoffs for injuries. Even though they were light on depth, Rose said he received nothing but support from teammates.
“They saw how hard I was working in practice just trying to rebuild my leg,” Rose said. “All my teammates that were going through their injuries used to tell me don’t rush back just because they were going through stuff.”
Over four seasons, Rose averaged 21.0 points and 6.8 assists against tough defense and won league MVP in 2010. He plans to return fully healthy and has his focus aimed toward winning a title. There to help him along in that process will be Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who maintains a close relationship with Rose.
“With Thibs, we’re super cool,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],” Rose said. “We talk at least a couple times through the week. I missed his call a couple times. He hates when I do that. (laughs) He’s someone who loves the game as much as me. And that’s pretty hard. You love basketball more than I do, I have to take my hat off to you.”

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