Derrick Rose said he had to re-learn how to walk

When Derrick Rose suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs against Philadelphia in April, he knew that the recovery process was not going to be easy.

Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP, knew that he would miss his team’s postseason run and be sidelined for eight to 12 months from the game that he loved.

But the rehabilitation process may have been even more grueling than the Chicago Bulls’ star point guard initially feared.

“When I tell you that you’ve got to learn how to walk again, I really do mean that,” Rose told NBA.com. “You probably don’t see people until they’ve started walking again and you just assume that they started walking right after the surgery. But after my surgery, I wasn’t able to bend my leg at all. For me, just to bend my leg was a blessing.”

Rose told the website that he’s been making a lot of progress.

Two months ago, he said he couldn’t balance. Now he’s relearning his body and has regained that skill.

“I got through the hard part, I think,” Rose said. “At first, I couldn’t believe it at all. But now, I have a lot of confidence in myself. My faith in God has grown, too, along the way.

“I’ve got my teammates and the franchise behind me. The whole organization is behind me, so I’m good. I know that if I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, the people here are going to take care of me. So I don’t have anything to worry about.”

Rose added that he recently was cleared to do some stationary drills.

“Just shooting, standstill shooting,” Rose said. “Getting my shot together and getting a touch back for the ball. I’m a lot stronger, so I feel that my shot is getting easier.”

The injury was definitely a major setback for Rose, who broke down in tears Thursday when he was asked how much his fans’ support has meant to him.

But Rose believes that this experience will have a positive effect on his future.

“I appreciate everything — bending my leg, getting rid of my crutches and braces, sleeping without the brace,” Rose told NBA.com. “I could go on and on, but I know where I’ve come from and I’ll never forget that. That’s why I say it’s going to make me a better player.”

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