Ten minutes into the game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Derrick Rose, one of the most highly anticipated players of the Chicago Bulls, pulled out of the competition out of fear of re-injuring the point guard's hamstrings, which had reportedly not yet recovered from an earlier injury this year. This fear prompted the team to announce that Rose would no longer go on to play on the third quarter of the match due to the discomfort he felt in his left hamstring. The Chicago Bulls lost the game at 114-109.
"It wasn't nothing like I'm limping or I pulled it or anything, it wasn't any of that," explained Rose in an interview with ESPN. "It was just that I wasn't moving the way I wanted to while I was on the floor. So why push through it when I wasn't able to affect the game the way I wanted to? I came in here and talked to (Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau) and we both agreed on just sitting out," shared the NBA star.
This statement was later confirmed by the Chicago Bulls head coach, Tom Thibodeau, who denied that Rose had his hamstring re-injured during the Tuesday game. He also added that they both agreed that it would be more prudent not to risk possibly hurting the player's chances of recovery by forcing Rose's body to perform the way it used to before the injury.
"They'll re-examine him but there was really nothing that happened other than I didn't want to take any chances with him," disclosed the head coach. "The way the game was going, the way we were going, I just felt at that point I wanted to go a different way. He didn't re-injure himself or anything like that," Thibodeau added.
Rose's left hamstring was incurred last November 14 in Toronto. Since then, the player had been struggling to overcome various minor injuries that deterred him from showcasing his talent to the fullest. Apart from his left hamstring, Rose had been battling knee injuries for the most part of the recent seasons. However, officials from the Chicago Bulls clarified that Rose's situation announced Tuesday night was merely a minor discomfort and the player would definitely be able to take in the team's match against the Bolton Celtics on Friday.
In addition, Rose expressed his optimism amidst criticisms that he had been sitting out most of the games this season. Although admittedly frustrated over the setbacks, the NBA star shared that taking precautions when it comes to his health is necessary.
"You can't let it get me down. I know that at the end the setbacks are just going to be minor. It's a long season and we just got to keep going. I should be good," the athlete shared.
Rose also confessed that the attempting a comeback after suffering from major injuries had been a "humbling" experience for him.
"Very humbling," he admitted. "But I just know my destiny is big. (Injuries are) just putting me through a lot right now for some reason, I don't know, who knows, but the only thing I can do is stay consistent with my workouts and get the most out of every day and everything else is out of my control," Rose asserted.
