CHICAGO – After his hands had shaken dozens of others and had hugged a multitude of friends, family members and Bulls staff at the United Center, Derrick Rose finished his night with those hands full as he walked a dimly lit hallway to fulfill his postgame media obligations.
In one hand was a bottle for his daughter, in the other was her stuffed unicorn, and Rose clutched them under his arms as he answered questions following a night that was equal parts "weird" and "overwhelming" in a 119-94 Timberwolves victory over the Bulls — only the second time the 2011 NBA MVP has played in Chicago in an opposing uniform, and the first time in over two years.
'When I stepped on the court in warmups, it was a butterflies moment," Rose said.
Those same hands and arms Rose used to embrace old friends were the same he used to complete another vintage performance in a career redefining season. He scored 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting and dished out eight assists after missing Sunday's victory at Oklahoma City because of an injured left ankle.
There supposedly was a chance that ankle would cause Rose to sit out. But on the other hand, there really was never any doubt Rose was going to pass up this opportunity.
"It was great, man. I didn't expect it to be like this," Rose said. "It was overwhelming at some points. You could tell the support is still here."
With Chance the Rapper cheering him on courtside and the arena showering him with "MVP" chants in the fourth quarter, Rose made sure the sellout crowd left with the impression he wanted them to have — more like the mesmerizing talent that won an MVP award at 22 and not the star-crossed, injury-prone fading talent he was becoming in more recent seasons.
"My body feels good. I'm not forcing anything, and I'm letting the game come to me," Rose said. "If anything, I'm playing the Chicago way of playing basketball. It's gritty. It's grimy. It's one-on-one. It's doing whatever it takes to get the win."
