Derrick Rose not gunning for NBA MVP award; endorses Kevin Durant as likely winner – NBA Update
Chicago Bulls super star Derrick Rose, who is the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, has all but ruled himself out of the running this year. The point guard, who famously claimed before last season that he could win the prestigious prize, and went on to achieve it as well, said his focus is solely on his team at the moment.
Rose hasn’t been as dominating in the shortened NBA season so far as he was in the last one, but he is happy because the Chicago Bulls are on the right track.
"We're winning, that's the only thing I care about," Rose said Monday after practice. "If it comes with winning, like I always say, I'm good. As long as we're winning games, I'm OK."
Derrick clarified that it was a great honour to be named MVP, and it wasn’t that he didn’t want to win again. He did however concede that due to injuries, which have forced him to miss quite a few games, he hasn’t played at his best.
Still, his numbers are good and if the Bulls keep winning, he would be happy.
"It's hard to win in this league as everybody knows, and we're just trying to keep it up. ... I think my numbers are still up, and as long as we're winning games, I'm good."
Rose did though use the opportunity to make an endorsement for the MVP award. The Bulls star believed two time NBA Scoring Champion Kevin Durant has been on fire this season, and he should be considered for the prize.
"I haven't (done) anything this year yet to be MVP," Rose said. "One guy that's ballin' right now is Kevin Durant. He's ballin' right now. Putting up numbers. Playing great, shooting high percentage. He's ballin'."
Durant has played at a very high level so far this season. He is among the leaders in points per game as well as many other categories. Importantly, he has helped his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the best record in the Western Conference and the joint best in the NBA.
Durant has time and again come up big for his team and carried his sensational form into the NBA All Star Weekend. Durant was the highest scorer in the NBA All Star Game and received the NBA All Star Game MVP Award for his efforts.
Rose, who played against Durant in the game, has apparently been impressed by the strong play of the OKC super star.
For Derrick though, this season seems to be about getting to the NBA Finals, which he missed out on last season after losing to the Miami Heat in the playoffs.
Tags: