Derrick Rose Believed in Himself When No One Did: Joakim Noah on Historic MVP Campaign

Injuries may have derailed Derrick Rose’s bid to become a Hall of Famer, but his refusal to give up on his career earned him the admiration of almost every NBA fan. He managed to carve out a 16-year career through sheer defiance and self-belief, traits that Joakim Noah saw in him when he was a young and promising player on the Bulls.

On the Young Man and the Three podcast, social media personality Kenny Beecham asked the retired center what made Rose’s historic MVP campaign in the 2010-11 season special. He responded that his faith in his ability despite being ridiculed stood out the most to him. Noah said,

“When I think of Derrick, I think about before he got the MVP, and its media day, and he says ‘Why can’t I be mvp’, and what I think about is the laughing in the background from all the journalists. Nobody believed he could be the youngest MVP ever. He called it, and it just shows, his belief in himself.”

Rose’s self-belief rubbed off on his teammates. The Bulls went on to win 62 games in the regular season, their first campaign with 60+ wins since the 1997-98 season. The guard became the third player since the 1972-73 season to record 2000 points and 600 assists in a single season and was named the league MVP. He usurped Wes Unseld’s record and became the youngest winner of the award at 22 years and six months.

Rose’s historic 2011 season

He managed to record his first-ever career triple-double in a win over the Grizzlies in January. He had  22 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 96–84 win. Not only was Rose putting up otherworldly numbers, but he also made his teammates better. In a win over the Trail Blazers, he registered 13 assists, helping Luol Deng record a career-high 40 points.

He also helped the Bulls beat the Lakers for the first time in five years with a stellar display where he finished with 29 points and nine assists. Rose scored a career-high 42 points against the Spurs, who had the best record in the league. The guard was so unstoppable towards the business end of the regular season that the Bulls only lost twice in their last 23 games.

Rose was expected to continue his ascension and become the ‘new Michael Jordan,’ but an ACL tear in the 2012 playoffs derailed his entire career and he became one of the biggest ‘What Ifs’ in NBA history.