Knicks Coach Bids Derrick Rose Farewell

They ran with the Bulls, danced with Wolves, and took Manhattan. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau won’t reunite with his former protege just yet but is nonetheless wishing him well in his next endeavor.

Thibodeau has released a statement in the wake of Derrick Rose’s retirement, which saw the 35-year-old step away from the game after 15 seasons.

“Congratulations to Derrick on a Hall of Fame career,” Thibodeau began in a statement on the Knicks’ social media channels. “Not only was he a great player, which I saw in the eyes of his opponents, he’s an even better person, teammate, husband and father.”

Thibodeau oversaw nine of Rose’s 15 seasons on NBA hardwood including the last three of that tally with the Knicks. The two are best known for their work with the Chicago Bulls, where Rose became the youngest player to attain the Most Valuable Player Award in 2011.

Rose’s career never reached such lofty heights after he endured a devastating ACL injury at the end of a 2012 playoff game, one that caused him to miss all of the ensuing season entirely. Thibodeau, however, praised Rose for his strength and resilience, one that saw him extend his career by nearly a decade after not only the major ACL incident but several other ailments no doubt played a role in shortening his prime.

“The true measure of a man is how well he handles adversity- nobody did it better,” Thibodeau declared. “Through it all – from the pressure of playing in his home city, to being the youngest MVP in NBA history, through injuries in three consecutive seasons- he stood tall, never relented, and always came back.”

Thibodeau would see such resilience play out after Rose returned in Chicago and also during stints in both New York and Minnesota.

“It was inspiring to watch him grow and push forward no matter what. He is and always will be a very special person. I will cherish our many fond memories together and look forward to watching his next chapter. I know it will be great and I wish him the very best in his retirement.”

Time will tell if Rose eventually gets the call from Springfield, but he no doubt goes down as a winner in the hard-to-please Thibodeau’s book.