Derrick Rose's basketball life will always be looked at as one of the biggest “What if?” questions in sports. The tragedy of the youngest MVP in NBA history's fall from superstardom is a well-known, sad story. But the current chapter of Rose's story — his second stint with the New York Knicks — is, in his words, a joyous one.
Rose is currently the sixth man for the playoff-contending Knicks. After being traded there midseason in the previous season, Rose helped New York snap a length playoff drought and was third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. After New York's historic win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, in which he was one of the biggest contributors, Rose said that he is “playing with joy.”
“It ain't happiness, it's joy. I have been through a lot. I’m in a great place,” Rose said. “I’m on a team, a very talented team. And like I said, I don’t have to score — it’s not on me every night to score 30 points. I don’t have a burden on me like that. I can go out there and…try to affect the game by passing or just pushing the ball. So, I'm in a great place.”
Rose explained that to him happiness is temporary, whereas joy lasts forever.
With head coach Tom Thibodeau and center Taj Gibson by his side, Rose is thriving in his new role with key guys from his past life as an MVP. The 33-year-old is currently averaging 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 22.0 minutes per game. In his smaller role, Rose is out to prove that he isn't a vintage version of himself just yet, that he's still a highly productive player on a good team.
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