Despite Derrick Rose’s Achievements, It’s Heartbreaking To Think He Won’t Be A Hall Of Famer

As the news of Derrick Rose not making it to Basketball Hall of Fame is making rounds, it might be the first time that an MVP gets snubbed.

At the peak of his career during the 2012 playoffs Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL. That’s when the downfall began. A career crippled by injuries did not stop him from showing up at the gym in October.

It is nothing short of miraculous that Rose recovered from those injuries and returned to play. HoFs like Bill Walton and Yao Ming retired prematurely due to foot injuries. Playing on an injured ankle turned Grant Hill from being “Lebron before Lebron” into a mere role player. Tracy McGrady, who was once on Kobe’s level, retired because of back injuries.

Until Rose made it to the NBA his primary motive was to survive and get his family out of misery. And then he makes it to the NBA, first overall drafted by his hometown Chicago Bulls. Rookie of the Year. The youngest MVP in history. A trip to Eastern Conference finals only to be defeated by the ‘then super team’ Miami Heat. The first ray of light for the Chicago Bulls since Michael Jordan. The hopes of an entire city on young shoulders.

Derrick Rose joined the Bulls when they were irrelevant again. They were a .500 team with one of the worst five offenses in the league. Just to put things into perspective, they were the Phoenix Suns of that time. And what Rose did with that team would be comparable to the Suns beating Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors (with KD) to grab the top seed in the West. East at the time was pretty competitive with the Boston Celtics’ ‘Big 3’, the Miami Heat and pre-injury Paul George led the Indiana Pacers. He led the Bulls to the top seed for two years straight.

He scored amazingly well with less attempted shots, getting teammates involved. Having to carry the offensive workload while setting up every day is beyond tiring, yet Rose did just that. His shot creation is the reason why stats can be used to defend his case.

Then hit the first major injury, a torn ACL in the first game of the 2012 playoffs. The Bulls scored 102 points against the 76ers. After Rose went down, they scored 92, 74, 82,77, and 78 respectively, paving the way for a first round, showing just how much of an impact Rose had on Chicago’s success.

After three years of grave injuries, the headlines went from “Is Derrick Rose the best point guard in the NBA?” to “Is Derrick Rose done for good?”. Thereafter, Rose was scrutinized by the media for every single mistake and statement he made all while being traded from one team to another.

It was sickening to see United Center booing the man who made their Bulls relevant again. He spent the entire prime of his career in that city. Suddenly, his hometown is booing him when he plays his first game back there in a Knicks jersey. He broke his body for Chicago. All while being compared to the great Michael Jordan at every step.

He seems to be finding his groove again in Detroit with occasional 30 point games. A torn ACL and Meniscus were particularly detrimental to the kind explosive athleticism Rose had. And the 50-point game he had in Minnesota was an emotional roller coaster for all his fans. It was as if the 2011 Derrick Rose was back, a glint of his capabilities if not for the injuries.

Derrick Rose deserves credit for trying to come back again and again and again. For over half a decade he had to live with enormous expectations, to which he could not live up because his body failed him. Injuries can destroy one’s career. Rose is the ultimate example. I sincerely hope he finds peace in Detroit with the Pistons alongside another career destroyed due to injuries - Blake Griffin’s.