The relationship between Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls is straight up weird.
Toxic? Maybe. Ridiculous? Perhaps. Incomprehensible? Sure.
But weird? Most definitely.
Franchise stars and their teams normally see eye-to-eye. When they don’t, well, LeBron James’ first decision happens. Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves happens. Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets happens. Long-term relationships aren’t built on distrust and a lack of communication and off-court politics and conflicting agendas. And yet we have the Bulls and Rose, whose relationship is in need of a fresh start.
Take Anthony himself. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowely posted an informative piece on that entire recruiting process. The whole thing is worth a read, but here’s Cowley on Anthony’s visit to Chicago:
That entire day seemed like an exercise in defiance. Despite an ESPN report that indicated Rose had no knowledge that Anthony was even coming that day, Rose said he did know, and had his workout moved from the Berto Center in Deerfield to the United Center.
The team wanted Rose’s workout to be a “big production’’ for Anthony, even having the court put down so the Knicks star could see Rose’s knees were alive and well.
Rose would put on the show, but he wasn’t exactly a willing participant.
“[Rose] wanted nothing to do with it,’’ a source said last week. “They had to beg him just to talk to Anthony after [the workout].’’
Then there was the dinner for Anthony. Expected to attend: key members of the Bulls front office, plus players Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. The expectation was Rose would attend. He supposedly informed them he wouldn’t attend, but that was evidently lost in the communication ladder.
“They were irate he wasn’t there,’’ a team source said.
The report also posits that Rose was far more aggressive while recruiting Pau Gasol, who ultimately signed with the Bulls. Within the piece, there is also talk of frequent miscommunication and disagreements between Rose’s “camp” and the Bulls themselves. It’s all very weird.
Truth told, it’s also slightly unbecoming of Rose if it’s true. His refusal to recruit is always something I thought was being exaggerated and overblown, but if he really didn’t partake in the courtship of Anthony, that sends the wrong message.
It doesn’t matter whether or not he thought Gasol was the better fit. Why exude such defiance? Especially when you know a teammate, a brother, like Joakim Noah wants Anthony in Chicago? When you know the Bulls could use the help?
This tension between the Bulls and Rose typically portends a nasty breakup, but not here. Rose, per Cowley, is speaking of a fresh start, of new beginnings that will bring brighter days, implying that at least some of what we know is true.
And if any of what we know is true, the Bulls and Rose most definitely need a fresh start.
Rose has three years and $60-plus million left on his contract. He isn’t going anywhere. Nor are the Bulls. This stubborn war of wills, however serious or embellished it is, needs to end.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
