Patrick Kane was a 16-year-old fan when Commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the 2004-05 NHL season on Feb. 16, 2005, the only time a labor struggle has claimed a major sport’s entire season.

Only high-powered attorneys, league leaders and trade association officials know whether or not the NBA is headed that way. But with games canceled officially through Dec. 15 and the league’s high-profile Christmas Day matchups in serious jeopardy, Kane can feel fellow 23-year-old Derrick Rose’s pain.

“I was devastated when the NHL canceled the season, so I can’t even imagine being a player through one,” Kane said in a recent interview. “It’d be horrible, especially so early in (Rose’s) career.

“I’m a big basketball fan and when you go to watch the Bulls, he’s the guy you look to for doing something special. And he usually doesn’t disappoint. Obviously, he had an unbelievable year winning the MVP. I was lucky enough to go to some of the games and see some of the things he did. He seems like he’s unstoppable.”

via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune