At the preseason opener between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers on October 4, 2013, Derrick Rose made his official comeback. He ended the exhibition victory with 13 points in 20 minutes. He showed his normal intensity for the game with breaking away for several layups and a steal which lead to a dunk. He appeared unafraid of contact and constantly challenged his opponents on defense which displayed his regular side of aggressive play.

On April 28, 2012, with less than two minutes to play in a playoff rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls superstar and reigning league MVP point guard, went up for a layup, landed awkwardly on his left leg, and fell to the ground. Eighteen months later, he has yet to make his return, yet in a press conference he stated that he was “ready” to come back on the court. He got a lot of heat from the media for taking longer than the normal amount of time it takes to recover from a torn ACL, as it usually takes 8-12 months.

“It was a good decision on Rose’s part. If he rushed his return, he would not be at the level of competition most other players are at,” junior David Svehla said.

Lots of Bulls fans were upset Rose did not return because he was the missing piece in a team that could have potentially dethroned the defending champion Miami Heat, who ended up winning the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

“If Rose returned (in time to face the Heat), the Bulls would have beaten them. They would have won the finals, because with key players coming off the bench like Taj Gibson and Nate Robinson, they would have definitely been too much for other teams to handle,” Svehla said.

Despite Rose not returning for last seasons’ playoffs, many fans are optimistic Rose and the Bulls, with all of its starters from last year returning, can win a championship.

“The Bulls can win a championship if they can stay healthy and if they have a strong bench,” Luke Mitchell, junior, said.

“Everyone knew Rose would be a little rusty, but that’s expected considering he missed the entire season last year,” junior Emily Vierow said. “I think he did a great job, however, at proving to everyone that he still has the great capabilities and talents. It will just take time for him to fully mesh with the game and his team again.”

Overall, for Chicago and Derrick Rose fans, October 4 couldn’t have been a better day to see the former MVP to get back to what he loves to do. His return has definitely challenged the title for the Eastern Conference this season.