Derrick Rose arrived in Miami early Monday evening and said he wants to do one more time to make the Knicks great again, saying he is “grateful”.
A Knicks Twitter account showed him arriving at the Miami airport, stating on video:
‘At first I thought it wouldn’t happen. There is a lot of trade. I feel grateful, anxious, but at the same time I know what to do to get here. It’s about helping the young boys, play as hard as possible and, say, thank Thibs [Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau]. ”
Rose will wear # 4 – Dennis Smith Jr.’s number. – because the Knicks have already filled 25 of them by Reggie Bullock. Without practice, it doesn’t seem likely that Rose will make his second Knicks debut against the Heat on Tuesday, especially since he hasn’t played at all this month.
When the exchange with Detroit became official earlier in the day, Rose, who played for the Knicks for one season in 2016-17 and wanted to re-sign, wrote about his excitement on Instagram, spending a missed opportunity in his first Knicks stint .
“Other hoopers always told me that if I ever had the chance to play in MECCA, I had to go for it,” Rose wrote. ‘I get a second chance. … I have to make this one count. But I was built for it. What’s Pooh spelled backwards ???? It’s just in my blood. “
The Knicks did not re-sign Rose after that season, after Steve Mills took over as president from the deposed Phil Jackson. The snub hurt Rose, according to his 2019 autobiography.
Rose, 32, explained in the book his decision to leave the Knicks after a mid-season game and go home to Chicago without permission, confirming that he had thought of retirement at the time.
“When I left the Knicks that day in January 2017, that’s what it was about. I just had to go home, ”Rose wrote. “I went to the cradle with my mother. … I decided I was done playing. I saw the same thing that happened to the Bulls and that happened to New York. I could see that the season wasn’t going to be the season everyone thought, I thought so. “
The Knicks finished 31-51 but Rose averaged 18 points. Now he comes to Thibodeau for the third time.
Rose’s Instagram post also stated, “Are you still looking for your treasure or are you still satisfied with working in the crystal shop… This experience called life will always challenge you to the core. Especially if you are trying to master your craft. “