The Chicago Bulls watched their season flash before their eyes when star point guard Derrick Rose crumpled to the ground after tearing his ACL during a 2012 NBA Playoffs first-round game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at the United Center, but not all is lost yet. Bulls legendScottie Pippen penned an open letter to the team and its fans on Bulls.com, and in that message he encourages Derrick's teammates to "put every last ounce of effort you have out there to make everyone proud" and boldly claims that the Bulls are "still the best team in the NBA until an opponent proves otherwise."
Even if some of that is just rah-rah stuff meant to inspire a group that is undoubtedly disappointed about the loss of their leader, Pippen goes on to say: "[a]s for Derrick, I truly believe he will come out of this better and stronger," and adds that he will return better prepared for what the game throws at him in the future.
Pippen acknowledges the difficulty of the path that lies ahead of the Bulls in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, and admits that they "lost a very important piece to the puzzle," but he also reminds the team that they have had success without Rose in the lineup and that there is plenty worth playing for in May. If you've been hanging your head ever since Rose hit the floor, Pippen's passionate open letter is worth a quick read.
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