A look back at Derrick Rose’s illustrious Bulls career

Derrick Rose started his Chicago Bulls career in a fashion that we haven’t seen before. Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a three-time All-Star all in four years. He was well on the path to becoming one of the best Bulls players of all time. Unfortunately, his career took a massive turn after he suffered a gruesome ACL injury. It makes you think, what if Rose never got injured, what would his career look like up to this point?

The beginning of former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose’s NBA career.

After being the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Memphis guard hit the ground running. He started his career off with a bang, showcasing his crazy athleticism and explosiveness in ways that the NBA hasn’t seen before. His ability to alter his shot in the air and his speed with the ball down the court was one of a kind.

Rose ended his rookie season averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game, which were solid stats for a rookie during that time in the league. And to top it off, he won a well-deserved Rookie of the Year award.

The next year Rose came back even better, upping his scoring average to 20.8 points per game and an All-Star bid. Receiving an All-Star bid in his second year in the league was an incredible feat considering the amount of talent that resided in the Eastern Conference. Rose also helped bring the Bulls to the playoffs consistently, they were perceived as the dark horse team in the East, all thanks to Rose’s incredible play.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, Derrick Rose proceeded to cement himself as arguably the best player in the league in 2011. Rose became the youngest player in NBA history to win MVP at just 22 years old. He averaged a whopping 25 points per game and slowly began to make a name for himself as the face of the league.

The following year Rose dealt with several injuries during the regular season but he still managed to earn an All-Star bid and help the Bulls earn a spot in the playoffs. However, everything changed in the first-round opening playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012. In the closing minutes of the game, Rose suffered a torn ACL injury that would change his career trajectory forever.

Rose’s ACL injury was the beginning of the end of his Bulls career.

After suffering an injury that kept him out the following year, the rest of Rose’s Bulls career began dwindling. He continued to suffer more injuries that kept him out for a prolonged period. Then in 2016, the Chicago Bulls traded Rose to the New York Knicks and the news devastated him.

Bleacher Report even revealed a tweet that shows the moment Derrick Rose found out he was traded.

After such a wonderful start to his Bulls career, you may have thought that Rose would go down as a Bulls legend in his hometown. But unfortunately, the injury bug plagued him although Rose is still making an impact on his current team. It would’ve been great to see what his career may have been like had he not torn his ACL. I for one definitely believe that a healthy Rose would have brought a championship home to Chicago.