Luol Deng and Taj Gibson still had smiles on their faces. Before facing the Warriors in Oakland on November 2, 2018, they were delighted to talk about how they had experienced Derrick Rose's 50 points two days earlier. Then unofficial members of the TimberBulls alongside Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler, the two veterans know Derrick Rose inside out, having been around him during his glory years in Chicago.
Sitting side by side in the Wolves locker room, they shared with us in unison their joy at seeing the 2011 MVP back at such a level, while minimizing the surprise that took hold of social networks on Wednesday.
“We are happy for him but we are not surprised. We see all the work he does every day. It was really beautiful to see.” they describe, before the interior shares a detail that in his eyes holds all its importance. “It wasn't 50 points where he took all the shots. We were down, we needed him, and… we saw the Derrick of old.”
Luol Deng: “I announced it, I announced it!”
From the first half, Luol Deng had sensed that his teammate was in for a special performance. He immediately recognized the killer mindset that has carried the Bulls for years.
“I announced it in the first half. I announced it!” he says. “He felt good, he kept pushing, we served him, and when he has that killer mindset, looking for the final blow, there's not much you can do. That's how he was at the time.”
It was surrounded by players he knew and a coach he trusted completely that Derrick Rose became the MVP who could play eye to eye with the greatest. “I'm comfortable here,” he confirms. “I know the system, I know the coach and he knows me and lets me play the way I want.”
It took him a long ordeal to find that familiarity again. Five surgeries, repeated physical problems, two disappointing stops in New York and Cleveland, a trade to Utah before being cut and finally bouncing back to Minnesota when few people still believed in him.
“I thought it was over, that my career was over” he confesses. “But I didn't give up. Not being able to play when I was in Cleveland really made me realize how important basketball is in my life and my well-being.”
Injured in the ankle against the Warriors
In a different situation in Los Angeles but also sidelined, Luol Deng is well placed to understand his leader's tribulations. The winger also tries to put his teammate's return to form into perspective.
“Everyone knows their journey but few people take it into account” he explains. “He’s had injury after injury, and every time you come back from injury, you need time to get back into your rhythm. Derrick never had that luxury before he got here. The more you play, the more you get back into your groove. That’s what happened last season and his start to the season is just a natural continuation of that.”
It is very likely that Derrick Rose will never again reach the mythical 50-point mark in a game. However, one can wonder if this feeling, as fleeting as it may be, of having returned to a glorious past does not give him ideas for the rest of his career. Can he imagine himself starting again? Is it a goal that he keeps in the back of his mind?
The player knows, however, that he has come too far to be carried away by such thoughts. How can you blame him? In Oakland, he was unable to continue. Bruised by a painful left ankle, he spent only five minutes on the Oracle Arena floor. But no matter, Derrick Rose is simply happy to play.
Interview conducted in Oakland / Article originally published on November 3, 2018
