James McManus, Columnist

Derrick Rose Is Missing His Shot at Greatness

Most athletes accept that a career-ending injury is possible on every play, but it doesn't keep them from competing when they're less than 100 percent.

November 17, 2014 at 6:47 PM UTC

By James McManus

James McManus is the author of "Positively Fifth Street" and "Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker." He has written about the game for the New York Times, Harper's, the New Yorker, Foreign Policy, Esquire and Grantland. He teaches writing and literature at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Everybody hurts.
Photographer: Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

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Last week, Derrick Rose was talking to ESPN's Nick Friedell about missing some games with a pair of sprained ankles. The playoffs were five months away, and Rose was returning from surgeries on both his knees.

"When I sit out it's not because of this year, I'm thinking about long term," he said. To be fresh for the postseason, right? To extend his career with the Bulls? Afraid not. "I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball," he explained. "Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to. I don't want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son's graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past."