We live in a sports-centric society. Athletes are idolized, scrutinized, demonized, and everything in between. Congress treated steroid use in Major League Baseball with more urgency than any one of the political scandals that have followed. Our current president fills out an NCAA tournament bracket on television, and his predecessor used to own the Texas Rangers. Former athletes use past success in sport to win elections, and the Super Bowl draws four times as many viewers as a State of the Union Address. We live vicariously through the athletes on our favorite teams, viewing them as heroes and gladiators. With these misguided views come certain expectations, and when these expectations aren’t met fans are quick to lash out. So it should come as no surprise that the comments from Derrick Rose about playing through injuries and his life after basketball ruffled some feathers.
Here’s what he said to ESPN’s Nick Friedell regarding his mindset following injuries:
"“I’m good, man. I felt like I’ve been managing myself pretty good. I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don’t understand that … when I sit out it’s not because of this year. I’m thinking about long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. [I’m] just learning and being smart.”"
I understand the uproar. The quotation comes off as indifferent, dispirited, and the thoughts of someone more concerned with his retirement than his legacy. They only add flames to the growing perception that the homegrown product will never be the same, relentless player he once was.
But for better or worse, that perception is wrong. As evidenced by his attack of the basket against the big, physical frontcourt of Detroit, Rose has shown that when he is able to play, he plays hard. He’s still assaulting the rim, and he’s still relentless in the open court.
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We’re talking about a guy who has rehabbed extremely hard for the better part of two and a half years to get back onto the floor. He had his money. If he truly didn’t care he wouldn’t have worked so hard to regain the quickness and explosiveness that made him such a dynamic force. He wouldn’t have taken part in the FIBA World Cup. And he wouldn’t have played in Milwaukee last week.
Rose was clearly hobbled against the Bucks, but gutted out 31 minutes in a game he probably shouldn’t have played. In fact, some criticized him for playing. His injury history has put him in a quintessential “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situation, something he’ll have to deal with for the remainder of his career. But Rose cares. He cares about winning, and he cares about his city, even if he doesn’t verbalize it very well.
Were the comments ill advised? Certainly. Rose and his camp have never been shining examples of public relations. But while his remarks might help push the narrative that he doesn’t care enough, his play on the court tells a different story, and that’s all that should matter.