Derrick Rose wants you to know that he is doing just fine.
In a wide-ranging interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that ran on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard opened up about his state of mind following a brief leave of absence that he recently took from the team.
“Be patient. I’m good. I’m just taking my time,” said Rose. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not depressed. I’m good. A lot of people think I’m depressed because of what I’m going through. It’s the total opposite. I learned from my mistakes three or four years ago when I put myself into a shell.
“No. No. That’s stupid,” the former Most Valuable Player added when asked if he came close to retiring when he left the Cavs. “I don’t want to even talk about that. But I’m just happy that LeBron [James] understood.”
The 29-year-old Rose, who still has no timetable to return from a sprained left ankle that he originally suffered in October, left the team on Nov. 22 before eventually rejoining them on Dec. 4.
There was much speculation at the time about Rose’s NBA future (which is understandable given his lengthy injury history) as well as his motivations for ultimately returning to the Cavs. Nevertheless, it sounds like the three-time All-Star remains committed to the game of basketball and is in a good mental state, which is all that matters right now.
