While Derrick Rose contemplates a future which may not include the game of basketball, Cavaliers teammates Dwyane Wade and LeBron James made it clear Friday night that they are two players who have his back during this difficult process.
Rose, who’s suffered from several different career-altering injuries since winning the MVP award in 2010, is nursing an ankle injury which is expected to sideline him for two weeks. ESPN first reported Rose’s desire to split off from the team this week, citing his exhaustion from dealing with injuries as the main reason for his absence.
With a body constantly letting him down, Rose, 29, is unsure whether he wants to continue his NBA career or call it quits altogether.
“Whatever he decides to do, we want the best for him,” James said about Rose following the team’s Friday night victory over Charlotte, according to ESPN. “At the end of the day, you can’t substitute nothing for happiness. And obviously, we know the injuries that he’s been going through his whole career. We hope this ain’t the end, but if it is, I was happy I got an opportunity to spend a couple months with him and watch him be the great point guard that he once was.
“But at the end of the day, a clearer head, there’s no substitute for that. We want the best for Derrick. … No matter if he comes back, no matter if he doesn’t, we want him as an individual, as a man, as a father to be just happy with whatever decision he makes.”
Dwayne Wade was asked on the matter later in the night, revealing that he too contemplated retirement years ago due to various injuries he sustained.
“It’s hard when you’re dealing with injuries after injuries after injuries — it takes a toll on you mentally,” Wade said, according to ESPN. “This game brings so much joy to guys, and it brings the opposite as well. It will take you to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. If you’re not mentally where you need to be, it affects you with your family, it affects you in your day to day. You’re just hurting. When you’re hurting you’re frustrated and sometimes you think about walking away from the game.
“I definitely thought about it. I’m glad I didn’t. That was almost four years ago. I’m glad I didn’t because I’m still able to enjoy the game. But it definitely was a for real moment for me to think about it because I was hurting every time I made a move. No one wants to live like that.”
Derrick Rose signed a one-season deal to join the Cavaliers in August, with LeBron James being one of the first Cavs players to express how fired up he was about the signing at the time.
The Cavaliers are unsure whether Rose will choose to rejoin the team this season, and are allowing Rose to take an excused absence for an extended period to clear his mind and make a final decision.
