Derrick Rose: Bulls point guard dunks during U.S. practice [VIDEO]; 'It's gonna be funny seeing them eat their words'
As the U.S. Men's Basketball Team began its practice today for the 2014 FIBA World Cup, all eyes were on one man - Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.
The 2013-2014 season was the second season in which Rose missed a huge amount of time due to a knee injury. Rose missed all of the previous season due to a torn ACL he suffered during the 2012 playoffs. He missed a majority of the 2013-2014 campaign due to a torn MCL.
There were some doubters after Rose's first knee injury and the amount of doubters only grew after he went down a second time.
Rose's participation with the U.S. Men's team will be many people's first time seeing him play in a game following the injuries. A few videos of Rose during the practice have already surfaced online. The NBA Facebook page has already put up footage of the 25-year old point guard dunking.
According to Slam Magazine, Rose is ready to prove all the second-guessers wrong.
"I still have goals. Seeing those doubters out there, it's gonna be funny seeing them eat their words," Rose said per Slam.
"We'd like to see him play like the Derrick of old, because he's one of the best players in the world, an MVP in the NBA," U.S. Men's head coach Mike Krzyzewski said according to ESPN. "What we've heard is that he's in great shape."
At Team USA's first practice, Rose told reporters he was looking ahead and had a lot to be happy about. In a video on the Chicago Tribune website Rose says:
"...with the second injury of course people are going to have stuff to say but I can't get mad at them. I got too many positives going my way. I've got my son, I've got my family. Of course I had a second injury but rehab took care of that, so I'm trying to put all that behind me and today is a start of a new day."