Derrick Rose taking an entire season off has caused many people to doubt if the Chicago Bulls superstar will ever be the same physically. Apropos of nothing, take his player rating on the upcoming video game release, NBA 2K14.
Rose’s rating of 92 sent many on social media into a frenzy feeling that it was too high for a player who’d missed the entire 2012-13 season. But the South Side native has been putting in a lot of work to get back to his pre-injury level and feels that he’s finally ready to play basketball again.
“I think I am 100 percent,” Rose explained in an interview posted by CSN Chicago. “In the training, I’m doing almost everything – squatting, running, lifting (weights) almost every other day. Just being back on the court after you have the ACL (injury), you’re kind of hesitant at first about how you step, what way you should step, learning how to run, accelerate, accelerating while you run, (decelerating) while you’re slowing down.”
Aside from the physical hurdles to overcome after an injury as serious as an ACL tear, the biggest challenge is the mental hurdle, which makes all the difference in determining if a player will ever be the same again. Rose took a lot of criticism for sitting out, considering the way he looked physically during his pre-game workouts last season, but it’s obvious he wasn’t mentally ready to play.
Bulls fans no longer have to worry about that either. Rose’s mind and body are back in tune with one another again.
“I’m reacting right now, where I don’t have to think about anything,” Rose said. “If I want to get to a spot, I’m going to get there, not matter what. It kind of feels good having that feeling again.”
