In this day and age we like to get what we paid for and if this is not the case then we let our emotions get the best of us. This is how all the fans of the Chicago Bulls feel about superstar, Derrick Rose. Having just returned from zero games played last season, Rose has only participated in 4 of 12 games since the start of this season due to 
reoccurring injuries. Having an entire city rely on his talent to bring the city of Chicago another NBA title, many of the fans are growing impatient with the former Most Valuable Player. This frustration escalated when he mentioned all this injuries has forced him to think his future more without basketball. He was quoted stating, “I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don’t understand that … when I sit out it’s not because of this year. I’m thinking about long-term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. [I’m] just learning and being smart.” (N. Friedell).
Basketball critics shared very negative comments regarding Derrick Rose and the plan he has for his future with his kids and profession after retiring from the NBA. Harsh words were used following this interview with Rose, which only fired up fans to voice their frustration regarding this matter. Following a few days of constant attack on Rose and his mindset of his future, Rose once again took to the media to let his fans and critics know that his future is still important to him. He also stated that fans and critics are too harsh and are not being rational when it comes to a NBA player’s career and the injuries, which would end it any minute.
Going back to the point I made initially, we want to get what we paid for. The Bulls have every reason as an organization to voice their concern about a player who they are playing 100 million dollars guaranteed over the next five years. However, what seems to be the missing piece in all this is that most of the fans and critics see Derrick Rose as a superman despite having gone through a total of 25 major injuries since he first joined the Bulls in 2007. In a 2010 article by Aaron Lopez of the Denver Nuggets, Lopez talks about the fact that life after the NBA comes sooner than many players think. In this article, former Nuggets player Maurice Martin is used as a keynote role model of the type of life a retired NBA player can have if guided the right direction. It is ultimately the responsibility of an individual to make smart choices in order for them to have a good life, however, without the proper decision-making tools success is doubtful.
The average NBA career according to Lopez is about 4.5 years, which is why the importance of planning for life after basketball is so significant if these players want to survive living life as an average citizen. Martin knew that only having a three-year contract with 600,000 dollars was not going to sustain him for long, therefore, the had to think outside the box and use resources around him to get ahead of the game. His decision to attend St. Joseph’s University is one of the major reasons to why he went on to be better financially supported than he was in the NBA. There are several great points, which are brought up by Martin about players often not thinking about their life after the NBA. Many of these players are often unprepared and unfamiliar of what the future holds. Even athletes who play in the league until their early to mid 30’s, they have the rest of their life left to live. Many players according to Martin do not have the foresight to look ahead.
With this being said, Derrick Rose critics continue to harass him for doing something all NBA players should be ding, thinking about his life after the NBA
. As a die-hard sports fan, I too find it frustrating when a star player the team depends on comes short over and over again. However, what I am understanding about are reason why such players keeping coming short of performing to the best of their ability. For someone like Rose, I understand he is dealing with a factor that is out of his control. His body is prone to injuries no matter the amount of rest or treatment given to him. This is why I believe that we as fans often are too caught up and do not realize the players have lives they want to live after sports. This is often overlooked and all we really focus on a fan’s perspective if how many win’s they can bring our team. In terms of the critics and the owners who express their frustration with players that think about their future rather than the sport, I say to them to not let money influence their character. What I mean by this is that investing money in a person when they give you nothing in return can be very upsetting, however, not letting this investing change our character is what many of these critics and owners have a hard time with.
By breaking down Rose’s case as a sport consultant, there are numerous areas we can focus on. The most important issue to address is to help Rose with the transition of going from being a superstar NBA player to living life like an average citizen. The difficulties he is facing now, as a top athlete who is unable to compete is already a crisis he is facing. The media and fans sending negative comments to Rose also can be damaging to him and an issue, which I as a consultant would want to address. As Rose gets ready to move towards his future as a retired NBA player, I would use his family as a support system to help him get through the relapse moments he will have to come out of retirement. Changing one’s identity we know can be life altering and helping Rose develop an identity which he finds fitting is another focus of my as a sport consultant.
Next, I would have him give back to the Chicago Bulls by getting involved in the organization because they too might not be ready to let go of Rose as a person. Roles he can play can vary from being an assistant coach to working with injured Bulls to being a mentor and an inspiration for the team. In this case, I would want to talk to the organization and help them settle any concerns, which they have that come from the retirement of Rose. Addressing these issues alongside Rose can help the entire team with closure to greatness. Removing doubts and negative comments from the public will be my most difficult task as Rose’s sport consultant as that is a factor which is out of our control. However, what I will be able to do is help Derrick turn the negative feedback into a positive applause. Helping Rose answer any questions he might have about “what ifs” can also help use with the transition phase. Ultimately as a player who is as talented and as influential as Rose, he will find that being forced out of the game is something that is beyond his control. This can bring much pain and angry not only for Derrick but for his fan’s and those close to him. The way to decrease such pain and anger is to take proper steps towards closure in whichever manner needed to.
KhairandeshWais 