Derrick Rose currently has a real chance of becoming the first NBA MVP to not make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
And that would be a damn shame.
If Hall of Fames were what, frankly, they should be — museums dedicated to displaying all that mattered in the history of a sport — Rose’s case would be all but cemented, even on the strength of his first four professional seasons, alone.
When an awkward jump stop ripped the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Game 1 of the 2012 Eastern Conference first round, Rose already had three All-Star nods, a first-team All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year award and most valuable player trophy (he remains the youngest in the sport to receive the honor) to his name — and at just the tender age of 23.