Chicago native and former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway has been in the same situation as current Bulls All-Star Derrick Rose with an ACL knee injury.
Hardaway keeps hearing a potential March return for Rose, but thinks Rose should sit out the entire 2012-13 season to ensure that he's 100 percent healthy and ready to play.
"I'd just rather have him take his time, so he can be 100 percent, because he's like me, running and jumping," Hardaway told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday.
Hardaway compared his injury to Rose's, as both being freak non-contact injuries on routine plays.
Hardaway was going up for a layup on March 3, 1993 against the Los Angeles Lakers when he tore his left ACL, and he missed the entire next season. Rose jump-stopped to shoot his trademark floater in the fourth quarter of Game 1 in the first round of last season's playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hardaway recalls the months after the incident, having constant thoughts about his future, 'Am I going to come back the way I want to come back?'
Hardaway overcame any doubt and was able to return in the 1994-95 NBA season, having never having to deal with the ACL again even after his basketball career.
Hardaway says that this injury will help Rose and more to his game rather than from taking anything away from it, insisting it will make him a better shooter.
"His jumpshot is going to come back a lot better than what it was," said Hardaway, who is now a community liaison and scout for the Miami Heat. "I'll tell you that. His jumpers and his free throw percentage is going to be up. I'm telling you. That's all you can do. You can't do anything else, but shoot around and just shoot free throws."
Initially for Rose, who suffered the injury on April 28 and had surgery on May 12, doctors said that he had an 8-to-12-month recovery. Recently, Rose said he's a couple of weeks ahead of schedule and started jumping again. But Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said he will not allow Rose to return until he's 100 percent, especially because he still regrets allowing Michael Jordan to come back early during his second season in 1985-86, after he broke a bone in his left foot. Although Jordan didn't aggravate the injury, Reinsdorf doesn't want to take that risk with Rose.
In partnership with Addias, Rose has allowed fans and supporters to keep in track of his progress through a video campaign ad entitled #TheReturn.
Below are Episodes 1-3 of #TheReturn.
