A cruelty of life is that you never no how long a window will be open. A daily subterfuge of dreaming about the future and all the possibilities plays out in your mind to pacify yourself throughout the day. Eventually you become genuinely invested in seeing your premonitions come to life in a three dimensional world according to the script in your head. It’s true for all relationships, and also true in sports.
In 2011, the question for the Chicago Bulls wasn’t when they’d win a title, but how many? Derrick Rose was just 22 and already had an MVP to collect dust on his mantle, the youngest winner of the league’s top individual superlative.