While Team USA had no trouble defeating Brazil during a pre-FIBA match on Saturday night, there was something more in the air. The United Center crowd was certainly there to watch Team USA, but they were also there to see the return of Derrick Rose.
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The Chicago Bulls star made his first appearance on the United Center floor since his knee injury last season and outside of ten games, hasn’t played at all during the past two years. Needless to say, it was an emotional time for Derrick Rose who explained his return and how it felt playing for his Chicago Bulls fans.
“I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” Rose said. “Probably, if this was a couple weeks ago I wouldn’t have been emotional, but right now it feels great. We won the game so that’s the only thing I could be happy about — we won. We didn’t lose. If we had lost my whole attitude would have been different. Just take this win, go to New York [Sunday] and just try to keep this going.”
Derrick Rose was serenaded all evening by fans who continually chanted ‘M-V-P’ and urged him to essentially do something spectacular every time he had the rock in his hand.
He did what he could to appease the crowd, though had a blown dunk that forced the crowded United Center to gasp in unison.
That said, Rose played very well and Chicago Bulls fans have to be pleased with what they saw. His head coach certainly was as he praised Rose after Team USA’s victory.