Tom Thibodeau makes his feelings clear about Derrick Rose's Hall of Fame prospects

Derrick Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history and one of the most electrifying players to watch when he entered the league. However, injuries derailed his promising career. Some blame coach Tom Thibodeau for keeping him on the court in a game that seemed to be on the bag.

Rose suffered a gruesome knee injury in the 2012 NBA playoffs and was never able to regain his MVP form after that.

Now, with his career in the rearview mirror, Thibodeau made a case for his former superstar to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame once he's eligible.

"His numbers say what he did was incredible," Thibodeau told The Athletic. "He had an unbelievable career, and he handled everything that came his way, whether he was a 22-year-old MVP or going through injuries or coming back at the end of his career and coming off the bench. Whatever role, he excelled in his role. He was the ultimate teammate and, obviously, a great player."

"To me, there’s no question he’s a Hall of Fame player," his former coach added.

Chicago Bulls will honor Derrick Rose

Now that he's officially retired, the Chicago Bulls will finally honor Rose. The ceremony will take place on Saturday during "Derrick Rose Night" at United Center.

It's not a coincidence that this will take place when the Bulls play the New York Knicks, the team he was traded to after he left the Windy City, and the team coached by Tom Thibodeau.

Rose, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft, got to play for his hometown team, Chicago, a franchise that had struggled to stay afloat since the Michael Jordan days.

He brought back hope to the Windy City, and there was a time when it seemed like he was the only one who could stop prime LeBron James from dominating the Eastern Conference. He made a case for being the best player in the East when that distinction used to be exclusively reserved for James.

His averages of almost 17 points and six assists per game, combined with his never-stopping grit, fast-paced play and poster dunks, helped him run away with Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

Rose wound up leaving the game with three All-Star selections, one All-NBA selection, one MVP, one All-Rookie team, the Rookie of the Year award and averages of 17.4 points and 5.2 assists per game.