Cleveland Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose revealed the extent of his ankle injury that sidelined him since November 7. At first, Rose’s injury was described as a sprained ankle. However, Rose told Dave McMenamin of ESPN that he has a bone spur in his left ankle that could require surgery if rehabilitation will not work. Since Rose’s absence, the Cavaliers are 13-1 and are in the middle of a 13-game winning run. Rose recently returned to the team to continue rehab of his injury after leaving for two weeks to contemplate whether to continue his NBA career or retire.
Recently, Rose apologized to the team for leaving them, saying he was frustrated with his latest injury. Before Rose returned, several teammates, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and coach Tyronn Lue offered him words of encouragement, saying he should take his time before returning to the team.
Rose’s career derailed by injuries
The 29-year-old signed with the Cavaliers for a minimum salary in the offseason. In seven games, Rose averaged 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per outing. Rose won the 2010-11 Most Valuable Player trophy during his time with the Chicago Bulls, but his career has been beset by injuries, including a torn ACL in 2012. Rose played in just 49 games from 2012 to 2014.
During the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, Rose played in 64 or more games with the Bulls and the New York Knicks. However, questions about his durability continue to hound him wherever he goes.
Rose said return has nothing to do with money
According to McMenamin, Rose clarified that money has nothing t do with his decision to return to the Cavaliers.
It was earlier reported that Rose stands to lose the remaining $80 million from his endorsement deal with Adidas if he retires. “It’s not about that. I’ve saved up enough money. It’s not about that. If I wanted to leave, I would have left,” said Rose. The former All-Star playmaker also expressed gratitude to the Cavaliers organization for giving him privacy as he went through his ordeal, saying it helped him keep his right state of mind and his happiness.
Rose also denied asking for a trade during his hiatus, saying there’s no reason to leave the team which gave him the opportunity to rejuvenate his career. In his career, Rose averaged 19.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 477 games with the Bulls, Knicks, and Cavaliers. He was drafted first overall by the Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft out of Memphis.
