Derrick Rose rejoins Knicks after COVID-19 bout, not yet ready to play

Guard Derrick Rose hasn't played since Feb. 28 due to a bout with COVID-19 but he rejoined the New York Knicks on Monday. However, it's unknown when the 32-year-old will be cleared to return to action as he works to regain strength and conditioning lost as he battled the coronavirus that also infected his children. 

"They say everybody is different, but with me I never felt anything like that before," Rose explained when speaking with reporters, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "I've had the flu. It was nothing like the flu.

"It was that times 10. So like I said, I'm slowly getting back. I'm progressing every day and just trying to get back in the swing of things."

Rose missed action ahead of the NBA All-Star break due to the league's health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 but provided multiple negative tests before he was officially ruled out through the break. He's now out of the protocols but isn't yet ready to play. 

"He has to go through conditioning, and once he's ready to go, we'll move forward with it," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But he's been out for a while now, so he's just starting to ramp it up again and we'll see how it goes." 

Rose averaged 12.5 points across 10 games after the Knicks acquired him from the Detroit Pistons in February. 

In mid-February, Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks suggested some of his players were dealing with lingering issues caused by COVID-19 following a virus outbreak within the team the previous month.