By Collin Allison

Last week was a scary scene for everyone, as Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had to be helped off the court. News broke the next day that Rose had torn the meniscus in his right knee. It was then later announced that Rose would miss the remainder of the season.

To many people this feels very familiar, as Rose tore the ACL in his left knee in the 2011-2012 playoffs and missed the entire season last year. This time around it’s Roses right knee, and previously it was his left. This injury has people now asking will Rose ever be the same again.

Knee injuries are becoming a big problem in the NBA. Throughout the years, NBA fans have seen many careers shortened and held back due to knee injuries. A few players whose careers were held back due to knee injuries are, Penny Hardaway, Ron Harper, Andrew Bynum, Derrick Rose, and many other players. Many people wonder how great could these players be/have been if they were never held back by knee injury.

Let’s look at a more recent player who has been affected by knee injuries. Andrew Bynum was considered to be one of the most dominant big men in the NBA from 2007 up until 2012. The 2011-2012 season was Bynum’s best. He averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. If you look at Bynum’s stats, now he has had a major decline.

Although it’s still early in the season, Bynum is nowhere near what he used to be. Right now he’s averaging 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a game. Now these numbers aren’t too bad considering he’s only playing 16.3 minutes a game, but Bynum has recently stated that he feels a sting in both of his knees whenever he runs or jumps. Bynum has also considered, and still is considering retirement.

Bynum’s a perfect example of knee injuries holding back potential hall of fame careers, and also potential championships. The Chicago Bulls feel that they were set up to win a title for the past three seasons, but now it might be time to start rebuilding. Could the Bulls have won a title if Rose never got injured? That’s something we’ll never know.

Knee injuries don’t just affect the NBA, but all sports; but basketball more than any other. According to Dr. Malanga and Livestrong.com, knee injuries account for 10.8 to 20 percent of all basketball injuries. The reason for this is because in basketball it’s a constant stop and go motion, also players are so explosive, and constantly jumping and turning. Just look at Derrick Rose, he was considered one of the most, if not the most explosive player in the NBA.

Now we don’t know if Rose can ever return to his superstar form again. Now all we can do is hope that Rose’s hard work, and determination can bring him back to the former MVP player that he once was.