The D-Rose Redemption Narrative
Derrick Rose turned back the clock on Halloween by dropping 50 points on the Jazz and icing the game with a block on Dante Exum. He attacked the rim, hit a couple of threes, and showed just enough flashes of his 2011 form where everyone was thinking comeback. After the torn ACL, the endless ankle injuries, the torn meniscus, the seven months he spent in an iron lung (probably), and all the other setbacks, it was impossible to watch him get mobbed by joyous teammates or his emotional postgame interview without feeling for the guy.
It’s a good story, but there are two problems with calling this game a pivotal D-Rose comeback moment. First, Rose is working his ass off to return to MVP form, not to light up the Jazz on Halloween. The guy is the youngest MVP in NBA history! And you’re going to tell me he overcame all the injuries and all the hardships because he came a point shy of tying Corey Brewer’s career high?
Of course, the second problem is that Rose’s rape trial is up on appeal in 12 days. Despite being found “not liable” at trial, Rose and his two friends freely admitted to having sex with the plaintiff when her blood alcohol content was at an estimated 0.20, which is right in the neighborhood of where a person would be blacking out. Rose was unable to define “consent” at his deposition and had the following exchange at his trial:
Q: So they just said, ‘Hey, it’s the middle of the night. Let’s go over to plaintiff’s house’ and they never gave you a reason why they wanted to go over there?’
Rose: No, but we men. You can assume.
Q: I’m sorry?
Rose: I said we men. You can assume. Like we leaving to go over to someone’s house at 1 a.m., there’s nothing to talk about.
Q: All right. Is there — within what you just reviewed in those text messages — is there anything within them that would lead you to believe that plaintiff wanted to have sex with you and the other two defendants on August 26, 2013?
Rose: No.
I’m not here to say whether Rose is guilty or innocent but it’s at least problematic that he has not shown any inkling of remorse. Even if you only look at the conduct he admitted at trial, the best-case scenario is that he engaged in some extremely stupid, ignorant, and hurtful behavior. Doesn’t he have to acknowledge that at some point? Doesn’t he have to show at least an inkling of remorse? And until he does, why celebrate the guy?
Here’s the thing though. I’m a lifelong Bulls fan. I grew up during the Jordan years, endured the 5-year post-Jordan hangover (here comes Ron Mercer!), pulled for my guys during Captain Kirk’s tenure, convinced myself that Noah could be an MVP candidate if he just developed a low post game, watched while the team marketed the dumpster fire of the “three alphas” era, and I fucking LOVED Derrick Rose.
D-Rose in his prime just did things that just defied explanation. At least once a game, he would do something so fast, so athletic, and so quick, that it just defied description. He dunked on people, broke ankles, found the rim in “blink and you missed it” drives, and just embarrassed players. Too big, too strong, too fast, too good. All the while he was the quiet guy leading by example, giving “aw shucks” postgame interviews, and letting his game do his talking. If you followed the Bulls at that time, you loved the guy. I will never, ever forget watching prime D-Rose.
And when I first heard about the allegations, I didn’t want to believe them. I didn’t want to associate my memories of those Bulls teams, and a player I loved, with what’s in that court transcript. What happens when it turns out that someone you idolize is accused of a heinous act? What if you’re a fan of Christiano Ronaldo? Or Kobe?
Unless you want to give a giant middle finger to everyone these athletes may have victimized, you either stop being a fan or you root for the athlete to be a better person. You root for D-Rose to admit that he made a mistake. Or that he wants to learn or to be a better man.
Look, the 50-point game was still special. I loved D-Rose taking it to Gobert, draining contested jumpers in traffic, and making clutch buckets to put the game away. Big time players make big time plays.
I just can’t get on board yet. I hope that this is the start of something, that Rose returns to all-star form. I also hope that Rose becomes a better person, that he owns up to his actions because, guilty or innocent, the behavior Rose admitted to in open court was wrong. And I’m not going to start talking about a redemption arc until Rose redeems himself. I hope he does.
