Joakim Noah's prime years were with the Chicago Bulls and during that time, he got to play with Derrick Rose, who at one time, was one of the best point guards in the entire NBA. After winning an MVP award early on in his career, Rose had turned the Bulls into title contenders, although unfortunately, injuries began to plague his career. Once he tore his ACL in 2012, Rose was never able to get back to that MVP level, and it hurt the Bulls' chances.
While speaking to ESPN, Noah had a lot to say about Rose and just how much he meant to the team. In fact, Noah compared Rose's 2012 injury to 9/11. It's a truly shocking comparison although Noah claims that Rose's leadership truly meant that much to the franchise.
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“When I found out Derrick [Rose] tore his ACL, I remember the smells, who I was with, everything. I had the same feeling of when I saw the plane hit the tower [on Sept. 11th]. People will be like, ‘He’s crazy for saying that.’ No. I’m telling you how I felt," Noah said. [...] "That was our time. Derrick represented that much hope. Every time he stepped onto the court, we had the most special player in the world. That's a lot of hope to carry on one person."
Clearly, Noah and the Bulls put a lot of hope and faith into Rose, which is what made his injury that much more devastating. If anything, it is a reminder of the kind of player Rose was when he was at the top of his game.
[Via]