D-Rose faces another career-damaging injury
By Courtnie Martin, Sports Reporter
The fear of injury dwells somewhere within every athlete. The gruelling fight for recovery runs a close second. Following these exasperating feelings, the insecurity of maintaining the same level of talent and ability becomes overwhelming. April of 2012 marked that unconscious moment for Derrick Rose, when he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Thousands of thoughts surely stewed in his mind. Nearly a year and a half later, Rose stepped onto the court after intense therapy to give the league the show everyone had been waiting for.
Only 10 short games into the 2013-14 season, Rose was averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. The former MVP had recorded a higher vertical jump post-injury and was making strides to becoming a more prominent player in the upcoming season after an agonizing rehabilitation process. In a failed backdoor attempt with 3:20 left in the third quarter against the Portland Trailblazers, “D-Rose” lost stability in his right knee. Officials labelled Rose “down for the rest of the season.” Rose immediately received surgery on his medial meniscus and is expected to make a full recovery, but what does that word “recover” really mean?
Rose may recover physically, but what about his emotional recovery? After being subjected to two major injuries back-to-back, is it possible to come back completely? My thoughts? It’s highly debatable. Coach Tom Thibodeau commented to the Chicago Tribune, “I talked to him at length (Saturday) night. He’s in good spirits, about as well as can be expected under the circumstances. And he’s already thinking about his rehab. Typical Derrick, he’s concerned about his team, his teammates. He’s such a great teammate along with being a great player. That being said, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”
While many maintain great concern for the MVP, others are fearful of the backlash of yet another injury. In February 2012, Adidas signed a contract with D-Rose for between $185-million and $260-million over 13-14 years. The shoe industry is skyrocketing and Adidas knew they needed big names to try and compete with Nike. According to SportsOneSource, Nike currently leads with 92 per cent in shoe sales, with Adidas at a mere 5.5 per cent. After losing huge star Kobe Bryant, Adidas was desperate to put their name back on the map by signing Rose. Now that Rose will be sidelined in dress shoes and not sporting the $140 shoes on the court, the German sports giant may be afraid they are going to tank.
The road to recovery has many variables attached to the injury. Not only Rose, but his teammates, fans, and sponsors have to ride the injury train with him.
