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“Break Your Will”: Echoing Floyd Mayweather’s Thoughts, Derrick Rose Opens Up on His Approach to Tough Matchups

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Derrick Rose (L) and Floyd Mayweather (R)

One of the biggest “what-ifs” in NBA history was how Derrick Rose’s career would have unfolded had it not been for his gruesome knee injury. He continued to play in the NBA for a decade after going down, but never quite reached the same heights again. Still, Rose had a unique mentality and approach that made him a former MVP, and also grinded out at the highest level of basketball until his retirement in 2014. And for that, he has Floyd Mayweather to thank.

Rose recently appeared on the Numbers on the Board podcast, where he was asked about how he dealt with the difficult opponents in the league during his prime years. He revealed that in his eyes, there was a target painted on the backs of everyone, and went on to reveal the ‘Floyd effect’.

He spoke about how Mayweather’s greatness was defined by him actually being afraid of getting knocked out. That’s why Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of all time, would protect himself better and differently from anybody else. And Rose, during his playing days, found himself feeling the same way every time he laced up his boots.

“I kind of felt the same thing when I stepped on the court,” Rose said. “I competed in a way where I wanted to break your will while we played. And I didn’t have to say it, you could just tell it by the way I played or, like the matchups. If you played well against me for one night, you know I’m playing extremely hard the next night.” 

Rose, who has now left the NBA life behind him, gives his children the same advice he lived by. He wants them to commit 100 percent to whatever it is they choose to do. “The game will reward you,” he insisted. “And not only that, people can see it. You can’t fake the hustle or fake the grind.”

During the first half of his Chicago Bulls stint, Rose was arguably one of the most difficult players to guard in the league, if not the most difficult. He was fast, explosive, and lethal at the rim, constantly leaving defenders across the NBA bamboozled. Mentally, too, he kept trying to “break your will” every time out, as he admitted in the same interview.

“I didn’t shy away from any matchups,” he continued. “We was just going to see who going to get the best of each other that night, and this was going to lead to an every-year thing, where I was going to try to destroy you every year.”

The more we learn about the type of man D-Rose was, the more we lament how injuries cut his time at the top short. He never came close to reaching his MVP levels again after his devastating knee blow in 2012, and went on to play for New York, Minnesota, and Memphis in the years that followed before calling it quits at just 35 years old.

Post Edited By:Sameen Nawathe

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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