For much of the past couple seasons, the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls went back and forth. The Bulls were the better regular season team, but the Heat made it to the finals in 2011 and seemed to have a higher ceiling with their players.
Last season, the Bulls had the better regular season record and they were destined to clash with the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals — until Derrick Rose went down. Then the Bulls were out in the first round and the Heat went on to win the chip.
In the second half of an exclusive interview with Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (you can see the first half here), Rose talks about how seeing the Heat hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy has motivated him in his recovery.
“With them winning a championship? Hopefully mine is next year and that’s the way I’m looking at it. I’ve just got to believe in myself, believe in the team and really work my butt off”
As for the doubters...
“I know it’s going to push me even harder. It seemed like I missed all last year -- played games here and there, but I still missed a lot of games -- and this year, I know a whole bunch of haters out there are saying so many things,” Rose said. “I think that’s what’s going to drive me, thinking about what people are saying -- ‘Is he going to be back, is he going to have his speed,’ or this and that -- I know that’s going to push me as a player. I’m listening and watch everything, and if I don’t hear it, best believe one of my friends hears it and they’re telling me. That’s why I love them to death because they know that motivates me and makes me want to do better as a player.”