New York Knicks coach presents Derrick Rose Hall of Fame case

After an exciting finish to the 2024 calendar year, the New York Knicks have their sights set on No. 1.

Chasing the Cleveland Cavaliers is out of the question for now, but the second half of a back-to-back weekend will give them a chance to recognize the career of one of the most recognizable names in modern basketball. After the Knicks face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday (8 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV), they will head to the United Center to face the Chicago Bulls on Derrick Rosa Evening.

“Whatever role he had, he excelled in his role,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said before his team faced the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night (h/t SNY). “He was the best teammate and obviously a great player. I always remember watching, looking into the opponent’s eyes when he had the ball, like you could see the fear. To me, there’s no doubt he’s a Hall of Fame player. Fame.”

The Knicks were an appropriate rival for the night when Rose’s number one moves, along with Michael Jordan’s 23 and Scottie Pippen’s 33: After eight years with the Bulls (2008-16), Rose spent two seasons with the Knicks in the middle of a nomad. second half of his 15-season career. The Knicks, of course, are also coached by Thibodeau, who oversaw Rose’s NBA heyday as head of the Bulls, including his run to the 2011 MVP award… and the devastating ACL injury suffered during the playoffs the following year.

Having met with Pink During their subsequent shared stops in New York and Minnesota, Thibodeau has he long praised his protégé for extending his career as a deep star when injuries took away his greater prominence. Of note, Rose ranked third in the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year voting when he joined Thibodeau in New York at the trade deadline via a deal with Detroit.

“He had an incredible career and handled everything that came his way, whether it was an MVP at 22 years old or whether he suffered injuries or came back late in his career, coming off the bench,” Thibodeau said. “What I liked most about him was probably his humility. It’s rare for a player of his ability to have the humility that he has. He’s just an incredible person.”

“They say the true measure of a man is how he handles himself in adversity. Going through injuries like he did and always coming back, never being down, being a great teammate, winning was important to him. He loved his teammates and you can’t find a teammate who wouldn’t love playing with him.

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