Tom Thibodeau on Whether Derrick Rose Should be in Hall of Fame

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has shared some heartfelt words on Bulls legend Derrick Rose, as the team celebrated “Derrick Rose Night” on Saturday.

“Big games, playoff games, games that are meaningful, he went to a different level,” Thibodeau said of his former player before the game Saturday. “And he did it against the best. Very authentic, did it his own way. Unrelenting, never give in. I always say the true measure of a man is how he handles adversity and nobody did it better. He never stayed down, he always found a way to rise above.

“I’m thrilled for him for the career he had. I think he’s a Hall of Famer. There’s no question in my mind that he’s a Hall of Fame player.”

Thibs was one of the people The Athletic interviewed ahead of “Derrick Rose Night” at United Center on Saturday and he explained what is so great about the Chicago native.

“His numbers say what he did was incredible. He had an unbelievable career, and he handled everything that came his way, whether he was a 22-year-old MVP or going through injuries or coming back at the end of his career and coming off the bench. Whatever role, he excelled in his role. He was the ultimate teammate and, obviously, a great player. …the thing that I loved about him the most probably was his humility. It’s rare when a player of his ability has the humility that he does. He’s an unbelievable person. And then to persevere … they say the true measure of a man is how he handles himself through adversity, to go through the injuries the way he did and always come back, never stay down and be a great teammate. He loved his teammates. You can’t find one teammate who didn’t love playing with him.”