Derrick Rose hadn’t taken the court for the Knicks in two weeks, when he was last a part of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, but the struggling veteran got a chance for a special moment in his home city on Friday night.
With New York holding a cushy 30-point lead in Chicago, Thibodeau gave his longtime player his moment with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, calling on Rose to enter the game at the arena where he blossomed into a homegrown superstar more than a decade prior.
Chants of “MVP” rang out at the United Center as Rose shed his warmup attire and took the floor, the crowd acknowledging the former Bulls star that won the award 11 years earlier, when he and Thibodeau were guiding Chicago to its most successful season since Michael Jordan retired.
“Just being in that moment, my kids were here, my fiancée was here…Just being appreciative of the time I do get,” Rose said. “I’m very fortunate to be on a winning team and to still be playing and to be healthy enough to still play this game.”
It has been a trying season for the former No. 1 overall pick, but the 34-year-old was able to turn back the clock for a moment on Friday, burying a 3-pointer and sending the crowd into a frenzy, like it was 2011 all over again.
“Feeling the love and the vibrations like that was surreal,” Rose said.
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