Former Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose heard some familiar chants at the United Center, but the circumstances were quite different and frankly uncomfortable.
The crowd at the United Center rained down chants of MVP on Derrick Rose last night.
This was a bit weird and uncomfortable for a lot of reasons. It’s obviously odd for the home crowd to be cheering for a player on the visiting team, but Rose is from the city originally and, after getting drafted by the Chicago Bulls, took them to heights that they hadn’t seen since the days of Michael Jordan.
There are other reasons that make this strange though. A woman accused Rose and a couple of his friends of unsavory actions in 2015, and he was found not liable in 2016, but in November a panel of judges was put together to figure out whether there should be a new civil trial.
Rose also disappeared without letting the Cleveland Cavaliers know last season, and it was even rumored during the absence that his retirement was imminent. It seemed like his career was disappearing before our eyes because of things happening both on and off the court.
To be fair, though, the point guard had an excellent game on Wednesday. The youngest player ever to win MVP had a team-high 24 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 119-94 win.
He was flattered by the crowd’s support.
“I had to crack a smile,” Rose said about the chants. “It made me reminisce about some of the old days and how grateful I was to be in that position at a young age and just trying to take all of it in. With the year I’m having it was very special to come in here and play.”
Rose’s stints with the New York Knicks and Cavaliers before landing with the Timberwolves were quite forgettable, but he’s having a decent throwback season. He is averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Rose will never be the player in anyone’s eyes that he once was, but he got a little taste of the past at the United Center on Wednesday, whether or not it might make some people feel a little icky.