Derrick Rose’s’ recent success in Minnesota has had many of his fans feeling nostalgic and relieved to see him doing well again. This season has been somewhat of a flashback for Rose and his fans.

To many, Derrick Rose’s fall from grace was a heartbreaking experience. The point guard from Chicago, Illinois, was an inspiration for basketball players in the city. He was on top of the basketball world early in his career. After being drafted at the first spot overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Bulls, Rose would go on to win Rookie of the Year and be named the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 years old in 2011. He did all of this while leading a Chicago team full of roll players to one of the top teams in the league at the time. There was no question (at the time) to whether or not Rose would be one of the league greats by the time his career was over. But Rose’s career took a sharp turn on April 28th, 2012, when he tore his ACL in a playoff game against the 76ers.

After that, Rose struggled to make it back to basketball consistently. His return was delayed from his first injury; he returned eventually only to tear his meniscus twice over the next two seasons. Rose became another player lost in the troubles of recovering injuries. He was traded to New York in 2016 and Cleveland the following year.

He signed a veteran minimum contract with Minnesota before this summer. Rose took a surprising role in the Minnesota lineup, starting most games and recording an average of 30 minutes a game. The unstable relationship Jimmy Butler had with Minnesota gave Rose an opportunity to play more. Rose made the most of this and scored his career high 50 points in the eighth game of the season. In an emotional post game interview, Rose said, “I’m doing anything just to win; I’m playing my heart out.”

15 games through the season, Rose is still averaging 30 minutes a game and 19 points while holding a key role on the young Minnesota team. Now that Jimmy Butler has been traded, Rose will most likely continue to take on a more prominent role for the team. The looming threat of another injury is always a worry for his fans, but for now they should enjoy the success he is having and admire his dedication to getting back to where he once was.