If Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye before his departure, Rose did little to dispel those rumors Friday.
The 27-year-old point guard held his introductory press conference with the New York Knicks after Wednesday’s blockbuster trade that sent Rose to the Big Apple. And the former NBA MVP apparently couldn’t resist slipping in a parting shot at the team that cut him loose.
“I don’t know why I was traded,” Rose said. “But I would like to tell them ‘Thank you.’ For real.”
Rose was born and raised in Chicago and seemed destined to stay with the Bulls for quite a while after the team drafted him first overall in 2008. But Chicago failed to win a championship in seven seasons with Rose at the helm, and the three-time All-Star has battled constant injuries since tearing his ACL during the 2011-12 season.
Judging by Rose’s follow-up to his initial comments, it appears he was ready for a change of scenery.
“I’m grateful to be where I’m at,” Rose said. “I could have been anywhere. Not saying all the other teams are bad places, but to be in this market, to be in the city (with) the legacy, the history of basketball. … I’m grateful. I’m grateful to be here. I feel like they’re going to appreciate me a little bit more.”
Rose is doing his best to get on New York’s good side, as he sent out his first tweet in over 200 days Friday with a personal message to his newest city’s fans.
Thumbnail photo via Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports Images
