Sport
Derrick Rose agrees to 5 year contract extension with the Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose
The Chicago Bulls have made it official: Reigning MVP Derrick Rose has agreed to a five-year contract extension.
The deal extension, which kicks in next season, was announced Wednesday. It is worth approximately US$94 million, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press late Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team has not released details.
“We are thrilled that we have signed Derrick to an extension. On top of being a great player, what has set Derrick apart is his make-up, character, drive and his leadership,” general manager Gar Forman said. “That being said, we believe his greatest asset is his loyalty to his teammates, to our organization and to the city of Chicago. We look forward to having Derrick in a Bulls uniform for years to come.”
The extension was hardly a surprise given all that Rose has accomplished so far.
The Chicago native went from Rookie of the Year to All-Star to MVP in his first three seasons, becoming the youngest player to win that award. About the only thing he doesn’t have is a championship ring, and that’s something he hopes to change in Year 4.
The Bulls came close last year, winning a league-high 62 games during the regular season and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to Miami. That series weighed on Rose during a long offseason.
He repeatedly blamed himself the past few weeks for losing to the Heat, saying he could have done more and made better decisions. Then again, no one did more to catapult the Bulls into contention than Rose.
He openly wondered why he couldn’t be MVP at the start of camp last year after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh turned down Chicago to unite in Miami and then backed it up with one of the best seasons by a point guard.
