New York Knicks: Derrick Rose Clarifies 82 Games Comment

Derrick Rose recently stated that the New York Knicks can win all 82 games they play. He clarified that statement for those who unnecessarily criticized him.

New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has never been one to hold his tongue. He’s one of the most outspoken and confident individuals in the NBA, as evidenced by his impassioned comments over the past two months.

Though the super team comment has drawn the most attention, Rose’s declaration that New York can will all 82 games it plays may have drawn the most ire.

For those unfamiliar, Rose recently told SLAM Magazine that he believes the Knicks can win every game they play. The response to said comments was that of outrage, albeit with a misunderstanding of what he really meant.

Per Drew Ruiz of SLAM Online, Rose clarified his comments about the Knicks potentially winning 82 games.

82 games—I said there was a chance that we can win 82 games. It’s not that we’re going to win 82 games. It’s rare that you can have a team on an NBA floor and have a chance on winning that game right when you step on the floor. I’ve played on teams where I’ve stepped on the floor and it was like, How we going to win tonight? Having that thought in your mind like, How are we going to pull this one out… So now that I’m on a better team, it’s like, alright, when we’re stepping on the floor we got a legit chance of winning this game tonight.

Those comments shouldn’t have been misconstrued, but they unfortunately were.

Rose didn’t outright state that the Knicks will go 82-0 during the 2016-17 season. Instead, he simply said that New York has a talented enough team to not feel like an underdog in any game it plays.

Whether or not that’s true, it’s the only appropriate mentality for an NBA player or team to have.

Knicks fans should be thankful that New York has a point guard with as much confidence as Rose.

If a player or team enters a game with the thought process that they’re overmatched, then there’s no hope. Confidence often borders on delusion, but without it, there’s no chance to defeat a superior player or team.

As Rose clarified, he didn’t predict that an 82-0 season will happen, but is ecstatic to know that he’s surrounded by enough talent to help the Knicks win any game they play.

Without confidence, there’s a high probability of failure.