In the news that made all basketball fans cringe, Derrick Rose has undergone his second knee surgery in 18 months on Monday after tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee on Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers. I assume many of you all already knew that. First, here are some words from Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie:
What was once a likelihood is now official. The Chicago Bulls have announced that Derrick Rose took the smarter, long-term route with his right knee surgery, and is out for the season. Rose underwent an operation to re-attach, and not trim down, the medial meniscus in his right knee on Monday morning, knocking him out for the season, making it so the 2011 NBA MVP will have only played 10 NBA games between April of 2012, and the fall of 2014. Had Rose chose to pare down the meniscus, he would have left himself prone to a career full of arthritis, and a possible career-killing eventual microfracture surgery. The re-attachment avoids all that, but it does mean he will miss nearly all of 2013-14.
The news is clearly devastating for Rose and his fans, and what it will likely secure is the fact that the team Rose returns to in time for the 2014-15 (sigh) NBA season will look nothing like the one he left behind in Portland on Friday night. Chicago has myriad free agent, talent, draft, and luxury tax complications getting in the way of the team holding serve between now and then, and what was once a presumed 2014 mini-makeover should rightfully be looked at as an inevitability.
While many will worry about the physical recovery of Rose and his knee (as they should), the bigger question will be his ability to mentally overcome another setback to his legs. Let us not forget that in the 18 months that Rose sat out in an attempt to get his knee right after blowing his ACL in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the scrutiny on his choice for sitting back and waiting was sky high. More than anything else though, we hope that Derrick Rose's career doesn't mimic someone like Bill Walton, one that seemed infinitely capable of doing it all while being a lynchpin player for the league.
Injuries happen. Mentalities changed. (Walton became distrustful, Rose hasn't been peachy with the Bulls) Futures shift. Let's just hope that we can still get the old Derrick Rose back one more time, because everyone loves a comeback. Even Rose's opponents.
Here's your required reading for Monday...
13 Things Not to Buy on Black Friday -- Lifehacker
Beltran Currently Yankees' Top Priority -- Baseball Trade Rumors
A Partial Defense of Huge: Putting the NBA’s Video Box Scores in Perspective -- Hardwood Paroxysm
Chris Paul's reputation shows we love the conventional -- SB Nation
The Wii U proves you should wait before buying a new console -- Polygon
Cowboys CB Orlando Scandrick Calls Out Jason Pierre-Paul And Mike Ditka -- TD Daily
Chicks N’ Kicks: Maggie Noël | Air Jordan 3 Retro -- Chan-Lo
The Truth About Jabari -- The Classical
Giants Punter Steve Weatherford Latest to Be Tested for PEDs after One Big Game -- Extra Mustard
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”