Chicago Bulls

Former Chicago Bulls players say opponents used to fake injuries because they feared prime Derrick Rose

Published by
Zach Stevens

Back in the day, guard Derrick Rose was one of the best players in the NBA, not to mention one of its most irresistible forces.

In fact, John Lucas III and C.J. Watson, who were both teammates of Rose, said that opponents would pretend to be injured or ill so that they wouldn’t have to compete against him.

In recent years, Rose has been a backup for several teams, and it is therefore easy to forget how great a player he was just over a decade ago.

He was the first player chosen in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, and he quickly helped uplift a franchise that had struggled to maintain any growth after Michael Jordan’s retirement.

Rose won the Rookie of the Year award, and just two seasons later he was named the regular season MVP for averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game while leading Chicago to the best record in the league.

The team also had the best record the following season (along with the San Antonio Spurs), but its big playoff aspirations went up in smoke when Rose suffered a severe knee injury early in the postseason. Since then, he has struggled to remain healthy.

But before that knee injury, he was an athletic freak who was able to explode and throw down monstrous dunks, and he also possessed outstanding speed in the open court.

There is a parallel to be made between a young Rose and Ja Morant, who has displayed many of the same qualities over his first four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.

For the last two seasons and change, Rose has provided some depth for the New York Knicks, who are having a very good season right now. However, it appears that he is nearing the end of his career, as he’s averaging just 5.6 points in 12.5 minutes per game while shooting 38.4 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from 3-point range.

Zach Stevens

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif. and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA and NFL fan since he was a little kid in the mid-'90s, and he has always loved soaking up knowledge about both leagues and their respective histories. He feels strongly that sports aren't just entertainment, but also a means for learning life lessons.

Published by
Zach Stevens

Recent Posts

Several NBA legends stayed away from All-Star Game: ‘These guys don’t give a damn — why should I?’

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game once again left many fans longing for how the event…

59 mins ago

Tim Hardaway rips LeBron James: ‘When I need a basket, I can’t go to you’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may be the NBA's all-time leading scorer, but Hall…

5 hours ago

Nets GM: There was ‘a lot of interest’ in Cam Johnson before trade deadline

The Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline came and went with star forward Cam Johnson remaining…

24 hours ago

Report: Bobby Portis failed drug test around Thanksgiving

The stretch run of the 2024-25 regular season for the Milwaukee Bucks might have gotten…

1 day ago

Report: Spurs sped up rebuild in case Wemby were to have shortened career, but likely didn’t picture blood clot issue

Star big man Victor Wembanyama's 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs appears to be…

2 days ago

Report: Spurs ‘very confident’ Victor Wembanyama will be good for next season after blood clot diagnosis

On Thursday, fans of the San Antonio Spurs received some unfortunate news regarding the face…

2 days ago