A YEAR WITHOUT ROSE
April 28, 2012 — Rose injures his left knee against the 76ers with 1:20 left in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series. By early evening, word spreads that it’s a torn left anterior cruciate ligament.
April 29 — An MRI exam confirms Rose tore the ACL and will miss the rest of the playoffs and the London Olympics.
May 12 — Rose undergoes surgery by team doctor Dr. Brian Cole. ‘‘He’s not sitting out the entire year,’’ his brother, Reggie Rose, says.
May 15 — Cole estimates a recovery time of eight to 12 months.
June 20 — General manager Gar Forman says the Bulls are ‘‘optimistic that if he continues to make the kind of progress that he has that we will see Derrick back on the floor at some point next season.’’
July 12 — Reggie Rose insists Derrick is “way ahead of schedule’’ and the reason he’s rehabbing in Los Angeles rather than Chicago is so he can stay away from distractions.
Aug. 11 — Speaking on the radio, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf says, “I’m not going to let [Rose] back until the doctors tell me that it’s absolutely safe for him to come back. I made that mistake with Michael Jordan years ago where I think we let him come back too soon. It worked out OK, but it might not have. This time I’m not going to make that mistake. Until the doctors say he’s 100 percent and they put their reputations on the line, he’s not coming back.”
Aug. 15 — Rose meets with the media for the first time since the surgery and tweets that he’s back in the gym shooting.
Sept. 13 — Rose breaks down at a news conference for his latest shoe launch.
Oct. 16 — Rose is visible in front of the media for the first time, going through a shooting program.
Nov. 13 — Coach Tom Thibodeau reports that Rose is cutting on the knee in practice. Dec. 3 — The Sun-Times reports that Rose has told teammates he’s just weeks away from practicing. Just after Christmas, he does start practicing, doing everything except full contact and five-on-five scrimmaging. Jan. 8 — Rose starts taking ‘‘predictable contact.’’ Jan. 23 — Thibodeau admits Rose is taking full contact in practice. Feb. 13 — Rose does his first major interview, telling USA Today, ‘‘I’m not coming back until I’m 110 percent. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It’s just that I’m not coming back until I’m ready.’’ Feb. 21 — The trade deadline passes with no moves by the Bulls. Reggie Rose complains to ESPN Chicago that the Bulls haven’t added pieces to improve and ‘‘need more’’ than Joakim Noah and Luol Deng as support for his brother. Derrick Rose issues a statement saying he and the Bulls organization have the same goal of winning a championship. Feb. 23 — Whispers indicate team doctors have cleared Rose to play. A teammate tells the Sun-Times, ‘‘I think it’s up here now,’’ pointing to his head. March 17 — Rumors swirl that Rose could play a home game against the Denver Nuggets, but Thibodeau declares Rose ‘‘still has a ways to go.’’ March 21 — Rose paints a gloomy picture to the media, admitting the knee is still getting sore and that he needs to be able to play by reaction, not thinking. April 2 — A teammate tells the Sun-Times that the criticism by Reggie Rose might have been meant for Carlos Boozer. Boozer says the team is united. Taj Gibson says Rose has been dominating in practice. April 21 — Thibodeau reiterates that Rose would be welcomed back for the playoffs but is ‘‘most likely’’ out for the rest of the postseason. April 28 — One-year anniversary of the injury.