Derrick Rose had a shockingly harsh response on Monday for fans who doubt that he can continue to play at a high level without Tom Thibodeau, and the former NBA MVP has since apologized for the remarks he made.
While speaking with reporters, Rose reflected on the time he spent playing under Thibodeau and praised the coach for continuing to believe in him through all of his major injuries. He then said anyone who thinks he won’t play the same way just because Thibodeau isn’t his coach anymore can “kill yourself.”
Derrick Rose reflects on Thibs: “He was the only coach that believed in me… No teams wasn’t looking for me at all. I was basically out the league. Even coming here, everybody didn’t know I was going to play this way.” pic.twitter.com/IUTz7tEUPn
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 7, 2019
Rose used the phrase twice, so it would be difficult for him to claim he misspoke. However, he later tweeted that he was only using it as a slang term and apologized for the way it came off.
I messed up by using the slang term “kill yourself” today in response to a question about whether I can continue to perform without coach Thibs. I did not mean it literally and regret using it so I apologize.
— Derrick Rose (@drose) January 7, 2019
Rose has been through more than the average player during his NBA career, and we already saw earlier this season how emotional he can be. There are certain things players probably want to say to their critics but are wise enough not to, and Rose seems to realize this is one instance where he should have bitten his tongue.
