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Former All-Star point guard Derrick Rose is at a crossroad in his NBA career as he's taken time away from the Cleveland Cavaliers to decide whether he wants to continue to play.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker, who is also a fellow Chicago native, weighed in on the situation, offering some support and understanding to what Rose is going through, according to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News.
“It’s definitely hard to put yourself in his shoes,” Parker said of Rose.
Parker has known Rose since he was a child and followed his footsteps at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago.
“A lot of people are giving him a lot of crap for it, but he’s just been at the point where it never really worked out for him and whatever he’s feeling comfortable doing at that time is up to him,” Parker said.
It has been a long and arduous road for Rose to stay healthy over a duration of a season. He is coming off a campaign where he underwent his fourth major knee surgery over a nine-year span, which has made it an even more difficult task for him to fight through nagging ailments that continue to arise.
Jabari Parker is going through his own struggles with health, currently recovering from his second ACL tear over a three-year period. He is on a projected timetable for him make his return at some point in early 2018 around February.
This has given him a better understanding of the physical tolls that come with major leg injuries while underlining what Derrick Rose accomplished with the Bulls, helping them make seven straight playoff appearances with a pair of Central Division titles and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. During this span, he also earned an NBA MVP award, three All-Star Game selections, an All-NBA First Team nod, and an NBA Rookie of the Year.
The longer this decision-making process that Derrick Rose takes with his NBA future proceeds, the greater outreach of support he will receive from other players and coaches around the league.
