Derrick Rose has approached his arrival to the New York Knicks with the utmost confidence, even stating that he thinks they have a chance to win every game. Although that’s far from the reality for this current Knicks roster, his confidence is a good sign of things to come in New York. I mean if you think about it, Derrick Rose has been through one heck of a journey. Suffering 2 career ending injuries, only to come back and try to play at the same level and come up short, and then get traded by his hometown team. To remain confident is a feat in itself at that point.
Rose admits that getting traded from his hometown of Chicago wasn’t the easiest thing he’s done. When speaking Nick De Paula of the Vertical at his Derrick Rose 7’s shoe releasing, Rose said he was hurt when he first heard of the trade:
“I couldn’t believe it. I was kind of hurt at first, of course, coming from my hometown and moving, period,” Rose said. “Being away from my kids and away my family, that’s going to get to you, no matter who you are. You’re going to be emotional about it.”
Though he looks back at his time in Chicago fondly, Rose is eager to tackle the grand expectations in New York. “I’m going to a great market, and to a city where they love basketball and basketball is a culture there,” Rose said. “They just love players that play hard, and I think that I fit that personality. I’m a person that’s going to play hard and give the game everything that he’s got.”
The journey does not end here for Derrick Rose. He know’s he has a long way to go before the Knicks can become the contender in the East that they want to be. But with the right pieces finally in place for Carmelo Anthony to actually try to play team basketball, it may be an interesting year for the Knicks. In an improving Eastern Conference, they will have to climb the ladder to be in playoff contention.
