Derrick Rose will return to Chicago on Friday to face the Bulls for the first time as a visiting player, and he insists he is not looking for revenge.
Although the Bulls traded Rose to the New York Knicks this past offseason, the 2011 NBA MVP claims the game means no more to him than any other on the schedule.
“I’m not even thinking about that (game),” Rose told Al Iannazzone of Newsday this week. “It’s no bad blood there either. I understand that this is a business and they made a business decision.
“People I think they’re making it a big thing because of the trade. I can’t even think that far down the line because we have so many games back to back. But I’ll be prepared just like any other game.”
Rose feels he is a completely different player now than the one he was with the Bulls. He alluded to that when asked about Michael Carter-Williams’ decision to not wear No. 1 when he joined the Knicks.
“I really didn’t care,” Rose said. “That 1 number, that’s something in the past. That was a raw talent, reckless type player. The player you see now I think I’m more mature. I think my IQ of the game got higher and I don’t have to do the things that I did in the past.
“With the team that I have right now I’ll look crazy going out there and shooting some of the shots that I shot with the Bulls, so there’s no need for that.”
Since he joined the Knicks, Rose has already made a couple of comments that will irritate Bulls fans. It’s hard to believe he won’t feel more motivated when going up against his former team. Rose is right that basketball is a business, but the Bulls gave up on him. That has to mean something to him.
