Derrick Rose Return: Chicago Bulls Superstar Way More Confident, Focused On Winning NBA Title

Derrick Rose missed the entire 2012-13 NBA season, but the former Most Valuable Player is aching to prove that he can still play at a high level in the upcoming season.

Rose, who sustained a devastating ACL injury in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, said that fans should expect that he will still be the type of player that he was before despite coming from an 18-month hiatus.

"I think I'm going to play the same way," Rose said in an ESPN interview. "I think the only thing that changed in my game is my confidence level. I think I'm way more confident in my craft, in my game. I worked out a whole year training my body. Going out there and showing people that I'm the same player but a more efficient player, that's what I'm trying to prove."

Before sustaining the ACL injury, Rose and the Bulls were one of the favorites to win the title that season as they ended up with the best regular season record. However, the title hopes of the Bulls faded when Rose went down. Now that he will be back in action for the Bulls, Rose declared that he is focused on winning a title next season.

"The thing that drives me is just winning the championship," Rose said. "That's the only thing on my résumé that I'm missing. This is a great time to do it where everybody is watching. It's the biggest stage you could possibly play on. My teammates are preparing themselves for a big year, and I am too."

Rose, who already expressed confidence in his surgically-repaired knee, has been practicing with the squad since their training camp started.

The 24-year-old point guard will make his highly-anticipated return when the Bulls kick of their preseason campaign on Oct. 5 against the Indiana Pacers.