– From wire service reports

HOUSTON – Remember the good ol’ days when the main buzz surrounding Derrick Rose at All-Star weekend was why he didn’t dance during pregame histrionics like his Eastern Conference teammates?

What a difference a year makes.

Rose’s comments this week acknowledging that he might miss the entire season as he recovers from left knee surgery seemed like a bad game of musical chairs, with the music stopping and nowhere to sit. But teammates and opponents with a seat at the table applauded the Bull’s approach unanimously.

“He shouldn’t be rushed back by anybody,” Heat forward LeBron James said. “Derrick Rose is his own man. This is his career we’re talking about, nobody else’s. If he comes back and gets injured again, he’s the only person who has to deal with that.”

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who famously hugged Rose after a November 2010 game at Staples Center in his ultimate show of respect, said the All-Star festivities felt odd without Rose.

“He’ll definitely come back from the injury and be the Derrick Rose of old, if not better,” Bryant said. “The important thing is to be patient. We all saw what (Vikings running back) Adrian Peterson did coming off knee surgery this year. Hopefully, that’s inspiration for him.”

The plan is for Rose to undergo full-court, five-on-five scrimmages shortly after this All-Star break and monitor how his knee and body respond. Chicago native Tim Hardaway, who was named a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Friday, overcame a torn ACL to make five All-Star Games.

“He will overcome that,” Hardaway said. “His confidence level will get him back, like my confidence level got me back. He still will be quick and have the same explosiveness. But it takes time. It took a year for me to get everything back. But once it comes back, it’s stronger than ever. You have to listen to your body and not overwork it, listen to what the doctors say.”

Speaking for the first time since Rose said his “leg still isn’t feeling right” late Wednesday in Boston, his teammates supported his stance.

“I’m happy for Derrick that he came out and said that,” Luol Deng said. “It makes it a lot easier on him and less pressure from everyone to bring him back.

“This guy wants to play more than anyone. But people have to trust the decision he makes, which will be best for him and the team. He shouldn’t play until he feels 100 percent.

“His decision shouldn’t depend on how the team is doing. If we were having a bad season, everybody would say Derrick should rest and think about the long run. It almost feels like there’s selfishness and greed because we’re doing well, so you want to add a little sugar into it and try to win it all.”

Joakim Noah acknowledged “it would be deflating to everybody” if Rose doesn’t play this season.

“But we understand there’s a bigger picture,” Noah said. “I respect his decision either way because I know how badly he wants to be out there.”