Throughout the first few seasons of his career, Derrick Rose emerged as one of the rising stars in the league that saw him become the youngest player to win the MVP award. However, Rose saw his fall from grace shortly after that a string of significant knee injuries derailed him from that status around the league. Over the years, he has spoken quite fondly of his time with the Chicago Bulls, and he believes he would still be on the team if one trend had occurred back then.

Derrick Rose’s rise to stardom hindered by injuries

Entering the NBA, Rose’s career had gotten off to a promising start as he had the unique opportunity to play with his hometown Bulls. He had the chance to step in as the franchise player in the city that he grew up.

Rose quickly blossomed into one of the league’s top guards behind his explosive athleticism and playmaking ability. His skyrocketing trajectory led to him breaking out in his third campaign to capture the MVP award and his only first-team All-NBA selection.

However, things came tumbling down the next season as he suffered his first significant injury after tearing his ACL in the playoffs the following year. Rose missed the following season but was dealt with another discouraging blow by tearing the meniscus in his right knee.

That once again was the case the following season as he suffered the same injury to his knee. Rose continued to be hampered by injuries, which led to the team deciding to trade him to the New York Knicks after eight seasons. He has since redefined his career over the last couple of seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons to once again become a highly dependable asset on the floor.

What Derrick Rose believes would have kept him with Bulls

Since Rose’s time with the Bulls, he has gone through another significant knee surgery but has revitalized his career.

That has brought forth questions about how things could have gone different during his stint in Chicago. With that in mind, Rose has voiced that he believes the league’s progressive shift towards load management could have allowed him to be still playing in his hometown, according to NBC Sports Boston.

“If load management would have been around, who knows? I probably would’ve still been a Chicago Bull by now.” 

During that time, teams around the league had not broached that type of plan of action with specific players dealing with injuries. Instead, Rose moved full steam ahead, carrying a significant workload that, combined with his playing style, led to his body eventually breaking down.

If the Bulls had gone that route, it would have certainly helped keep Rose on the floor, but his playing style was frequently rigorous and depended much on his athleticism. It was only a matter of time before his body was going to break down. Nonetheless, it’s an intriguing scenario that could have changed things.

Derrick Rose’s career rebirth

Over the last couple of seasons, Rose has put his career back on track behind the return of his explosive athleticism and dynamic playmaking ability.

He has dealt with nagging injuries along the way, but he has proven to have plenty left in the tank to play at a high level. Although he has been limited to just eight games played this season, Rose has been a key offensive factor for the Pistons this season as he’s averaging 18.4 points and 5.8 assists on 54.7 percent shooting from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The 31-year-old has become a highly productive player off the bench has once again sparked admiration of fans behind his tantalizing play. Rose may not be the player he once was, but he has revitalized his NBA career.