NBA: Bulls’ Rose vows to return to form

Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose ponders a question during an NBA basketball news conference about his injured knee at the United Center Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO –Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has a warning for anyone who thinks he might be injury prone and ready to call it a career as an NBA player.

“What can I say to that? … I know I’m going to be all right,” Rose said.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Rose said he plans to get back on the basketball court as soon as he can.

“The hard part that I had to go through in life, period, is living in poverty and not being able to get what I want,” Rose said.

“I have everything that I want. I just can’t play the game that I love playing.

“I have my son. I’m going to try my hardest to get back on the court, and I know I should be out there pretty soon.”

The team announced last month that Rose underwent successful right knee surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus and will miss the remainder of the season.

Rose, of course, hopes to recover sooner. He said Thursday that he is already putting some weight on the knee in therapy. His rehab includes swimming and yoga exercises.

“With this injury, I’m able to get back on the court a lot quicker and I’m able to move around a lot more,” Rose said.

He added that he hated the rigors of rehab last year but has come to accept it now.

“Last year, the rehab and training part was all new to me. I didn’t like it. I did it because I wanted to get back on the court. But just going through it, it’s hell.

“This year, it should be an easier process where I know what to do and I’m walking. I’m able to bend my leg right now after surgery.

“With the ACL, I wasn’t able to bend my leg until three or four months (into the process). So this process should be a lot smoother.”

Rose, the 2011 NBA most valuable player who missed all of last season with a torn left knee ligament, injured his right knee in the third quarter of Chicago’s 98-95 loss at Portland last month.

Rose was ruled out for the rest of the campaign after surgery was performed by team doctors Brian Cole and Chuck Bush-Joseph at Rush University Medical Center.

Rose had averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds over 10 games this season for the Bulls.