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NBA Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls’ First Preseason Game Was Far From Meaningless

By @BethanyRobison

Derrick Rose, Bulls vs Wizards Preseason 2014

Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY SPORTS

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Washington Wizards in preseason action, and I was there in the United Center — an undercover Pacers person — feeling like I was getting away with something just by being there. On the bus back to the Loop, we sat next to some visitors from Germany. They were in Chicago for a conference, had a free evening and decided to see what this basketball thing was all about. “What was the significance of this game?” they asked me. It took me a few tries to get to the correct answer.

At first, I told them to think of it as a soccer friendly. A lot of players switched teams in the offseason, so they were still learning how to play together. They needed to get in shape and learn the coach’s system. The Germans understood (they’re good at sports there, you watched the World Cup). The Bulls lost, but no big deal. Fans got their first taste of the Pau Gasol era, which seemed a bit lukewarm (Pau even scored an “own goal” at one point for the German fans).

Beyond the final score, the Germans were caught up in the spectacle, trying to understand the fans’ enthusiasm for frequent timeouts featuring dancers, Benny the Bull stealing a woman’s purse and tiny parachutes falling from the sky like a scene from The Hunger Games (and then Paul Pierce inexplicably poked Joakim Noah in the face during a timeout, further enhancing the atmosphere).

Despite the “friendly” nature of the game, the United Center was loud, engaged, often outraged (especially any time Paul Pierce was involved). It was hard to convince the visiting Germans that the game was, essentially, meaningless.

Then we landed on the subject of Derrick Rose – Chicago’s own from the day he was born. The symbiotic relationship between Rose and this city is difficult to articulate, especially since I’m an Indiana Pacers fan on the outside looking in. And I was still swept up in the energy of the building — the entire United Center collectively willing Rose toward his full potential, possibly a flicker of what I’ll feel watching Paul George next season (because, for all the affection Indy might feel for PG, the hometown bond is not quite the same).

“Rose grew up here in the city and the fans have always adored him,” I explained to the Germans. “He’s been badly injured the past two seasons and still trying to get his feet back under him.”

And that was the significance of this game. Bulls fans are desperate to explode for this team. They’re hopeful and apprehensive. As Derrick Rose shot free throws, the entire building chanted, “MVP,” reminding him of who he was and is, letting him know this city will do whatever it has to do. They’ll pour themselves into him. The only problem is, he might end up trying too hard to respond.

Bethany Robison is an Indianapolis Colts writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @BethanyRobison and add her to your network on Google.

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