The Bulls were back at the Berto Center on Monday and Derrick Rose was back on the court and participating fully in practice. After sitting out Saturday’s preseason tilt in Brazil with soreness in his left knee, fans were worried that it could be due to some sort of complication and feared the worst.
But D. Rose assured everyone once again that there is no issue and he’s doing just fine.
"My knee was good," Rose said to ESPN Chicago after Monday’s late afternoon practice. "I never was worried about it. I could have played but the front office made a decision to sit me out. My health is the number one [concern]."
When an athlete is making a comeback from a serious injury, especially an athlete as popular as Derrick Rose, news like "knee soreness" instantly triggers a worst-case scenario with fans. But if you look at the situation deeper, something like this shouldn’t be unexpected.
Daily training camp practices and the two preseason games he’s appeared in thus far represent the most basketball D. Rose has played in well over a year. His body is getting re-acclimated to the rigors and grind of the NBA lifestyle on the court, so it stands to reason that he would, at some point, feel soreness in the surgically repaired knee that kept him out all of last season.
"Going into [the process], you hear about [knee pain], but when it actually happened, it surprised everyone. Like I said, I could have played in the game but they made a decision and I just listened to them."
Of course, Derrick Rose appreciates the concern for his well-being, but he knows his body better than anyone and if he says he’s fine physically, well, we just have to believe him.
Sports
"I'm fine with [people asking], man," he said. "It's just something I've got to deal with. Does it get irritating? Sometimes, but I had the injury, and it's something all of us [who have torn an ACL] have to go through."
The Bulls host the Detroit Pistons at the United Center on Wednesday and Rose is expected to suit up and play.
