On Sunday, the Professional Basketball Writers Association presented Cleveland Cavaliers point guard and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose with their “Charles Oakley Award” for his professionalism with the media in New York City.
Rose, now 29 years of age, played in 64 games for the Knicks during their 2016-17 campaign, averaging 18.0 points on 47 percent shooting from the field, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per contest. However, the former Memphis Tiger standout suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in April, which forced him to miss the remainder of that season.
As most hoops fans know, Rose was signed by the Cavs during the 2017 offseason. Now, with his new team, the crafty ball-handler is looking to make an impact in a winning environment.
Via Zachariah Durr of cleveland.com:
“I’m blessed to have this opportunity…I’m back in a winning environment,” Rose said during the Cavs’ Media Day at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Rose looked great in training camp and preseason. However, the three-time All Star suffered a mild ankle sprain in Cleveland’s second regular season game — a 116-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “D-Rose,” as he is known, went on to miss four games due to the injury, but in his return — a 114-95 loss to his former team inside Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night — Rose posted 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, three assists, and three rebounds in his 31 minutes of action.
It seems as though Rose is fitting in with the Cleveland media as well. His calm demeanor makes him very approachable, and his honesty with regards to prior injuries has been well-received by Cavs beat writers. Let’s see what the future holds.