Derrick Rose says LeBron James returning isn’t a big deal
By Josh Hill
The Cleveland Cavaliers have LeBron James back and everyone seems to be pretty happy about that. Well, everyone expect Chicago Bulls point gaurd Derrick Rose, who could seemingly care less about LeBron being back in Cleveland.
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Rose and LeBron don’t actively hate one another, but it’s clear that there is a mutual professional hatred between the stars and that’s something that Rose is tapping back into for the 2014-15 season.
Rose spoke with Sam Smith of NBA.com and noted that the return of LeBron James is cool, but it’s not something that is going to give him extra motivation to win as he already has that drive within him.
"“ (I feel the) same way I would if anyone else was in my division. Just because it’s him it’s not going to get me to play even harder. I know that every night that I step on the floor, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win the game no matter who is on the floor. Just knowing how great he is and the game, I hope the fans appreciate the game even more.”"
This sounds like the Derrick Rose of old, which is good news for Bulls fans hoping to see their superstar MVP get back to where he was before his ACL starting tearing left and right. But Rose’s noodle knees seem to have healed and LeBron James being back in the Central Division may not motivate Rose but it’s something he’s clearly paying attention to anyways.