Team USA hopes Derrick Rose is healthy for World Cup of Basketball

The Chicago Bulls have had to play most of the last two seasons without Derrick Rose as the youngest MVP in NBA history missed all of last season rehabbing from a torn ACL and appeared in only 10 games this year before sustaining a torn meniscus in his other knee.

Despite the lingering concerns over Rose’s health in both the short and long term, Team USA is hopeful he will be healthy enough to play this summer in the World Cup of Basketball.

"“I think he needs to find out just where he is physically,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Wednesday of the Chicago Bulls guard. “So he is welcome to come to our camp, he is welcome to show us where he is. I think if nothing else, worst-case scenario, he practices and sees that he’s either not ready or he is ready. And if he’s ready, he has a chance to make the team.”"

Fans of the Bulls may prefer Rose doesn’t play at the risk of further injury (his rehab is is going ‘very well) considering that’s the team who employs him, but Bulls coach and assistant for Team USA, Tom Thibodeau, sees a silver lining in Rose suiting up for his country who would play a game in his home arena.

"“It’s great,” Thibodeau said. “For USA Basketball, Chicago’s such a great basketball city, I just think it’s a natural [fit]. Hopefully Derrick will be participating, so I think it’s great for everybody. Great for the city, great for our fans, great for USA Basketball.”"

Rose was one of the members on the team that won the world championship four years ago.