Enough is enough, Derrick Rose. It’s time to retire.
There’s a point in any athlete’s career when contracts and promises don’t matter anymore, and Rose has reached it. It’s time to put down the basketball, hold a heartfelt retirement press conference and accept the TV analyst job waiting for him.
Don’t just ask me — ask any doctor you know.
History repeated itself for what seems like the 10,000th time in the last three years Tuesday night when it was announced that Rose had a torn meniscus in his right knee and would undergo season-ending surgery. NBA fans, especially those of Rose’s Chicago Bulls, took a collective sigh.
The trials began in the first game of the 2012 NBA playoffs when Rose, the star of a No. 1 seed Bulls team, tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose missed the rest of the postseason as well as the entire 2012-13 season, and he didn’t look the same when he returned 18 months later.
The damage continued only a month into his return when Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee for the first time. Another immediate surgery, another season lost.
The Bulls, meanwhile, began to become accustomed and equipped to life without the star point guard. Coach Tom Thibodeau and center Joakim Noah established a defense-first persona with the team, leading to playoff appearances in both of the team’s Rose-less seasons.
The addition of veteran center Pau Gasol and the emergence of guard/forward Jimmy Butler only made the team stronger this season, making Rose’s return even sweeter.
Leading up to the injury, Rose was playing the best basketball since 2012, and the Bulls were perhaps the favorite to win the Eastern Conference. In one Marc Stein tweet, all was lost.
But basketball is no longer the primary concern.
Our focus must now shift to a 26-year-old man with the legs of a senior citizen, desperately in need of a new profession. A man who probably feels obligated to play for his hometown, no matter what it does to his long-term future.
I love watching the NBA, but when I watched Rose this year, I cringed. I could only think that someone with a family is risking his own health with every drive. This latest injury puts him at the point of no return.
Rose doesn’t owe anyone anything. His health, or lack thereof, trumps the time left on his contract, and the Bulls know this. Chicago players, coaches and fans must realize the risks are simply too high and let him go.
Most importantly, Rose must realize this. There are bigger things in life than games and trophies — things that stay with you after your career is over.
For the next five years, Rose might regret calling it quits so early. For the 50 years after, he’ll realize the wisdom.
Tommy Romanach is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Dallas, Texas. You can reach him on Twitter at @troman_TDR.