Derrick Rose shaken by Paul George injury: ‘That could have been me’
When Paul George suffered a compound fracture in his lower leg nearly three weeks ago in a Team USA scrimmage that will keep the Indiana Pacers All-Star out of action for the upcoming season and perhaps longer, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose admits he was shaken.
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“That’s my first time ever witnessing something like that,” Rose tells CBS Sports’ Ken Berger on Tuesday. “When it first happened, it kind of took me by surprise, because you see how talented he is and how young he is. You don’t want that to happen to anyone.”
Rose can empathize with George after an ACL tear and meniscus tear in his knees have limited him to 10 games over the last two regular seasons. The youngest MVP in NBA history looks to be back to his former self and was taken aback when he realized an injury like that could have happened to anyone, including himself.
“Thank God he signed his contract and got that out the way first before the injury,” Rose said. “Because when it happened, you could put yourself in his shoes and say, ‘Damn, that could’ve been me.’ All you can do is pray for him.”
George signed a five-year extension worth $92 million in 2013.
Bulls fans have understandably been hesitant to see Rose participate for Team USA considering his injury history and watching what happened to George, but there are no plans for him to pull out like Kevin Durant, Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge have done to secure a new contract or endorsement deal.