Raymond Felton recently reminisced about the prime years of Derrick Rose. In his latest appearance on ‘Run Your Race Podcast, the former NBA point guard shed light on Rose’s influence in the league in the early 2010s.
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Felton initially admitted how several players at that time used to find ways to avoid facing Rose on the court. A majority used to declare themselves ill ahead of the game to eventually take a day off. It paved the way for “D Rose flu” as the competitors started using this as an excuse to dodge facing the 2011 MVP.
Following that, the 39-year-old elaborated on the dominance of Rose during his early Chicago Bulls years. Felton revealed how D Rose was a step ahead of his contemporaries, resulting in the invincibility factor around him. The 2005 NCAA champion expanded on his beliefs further while using a leading guard of that era, Chris Paul, as a reference.
“That dude right there is hands down probably one of the toughest point guards I have ever played against when he was in his prime. When he was in his prime, ain’t nobody touching him. I don’t care. CP, whoever couldn’t touch him. He proved that. He went through everybody.”
The words summarized how Rose became the youngest MVP of all time at the age of just 22. During the 2010/11 season, the Chicago-born led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference top-seed spot in the regular season. Throughout this period, he averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, as per StatMuse, differentiating him from the rest of the league.
On top of it, his gameplay ushered in a new era in the NBA as it disrupted the narrative around a typical point guard. Alongside facilitating plays, Rose’s athleticism and burst of pace turned him into a lethal weapon within the paint. These capabilities separated him from the likes of Paul and Deron Williams, adding volume to his MVP run.
The invincibility factor of Derrick Rose
The unique qualities of Rose made the opposition give up in their minds before even stepping up to face him. Consequently, the “D Rose flu” started to become more prevalent over time. One of his former teammates, CJ Watson, even confirmed it in 2021 during an interview with Inside Buzz.
“When I signed with Chicago, I’ve never seen players run from other players or guard certain players…Having the flu and is supposedly sick because they don’t wanna guard D-Rose. It definitely happened; he was playing at an unbelievable clip that year,” he revealed.
This further captured the authority Rose had on the court as the NBA over time became fearful of it. Sadly, it soon came crashing down as constant injuries halted the impact of the 6ft 3″ guard. However, it paved the way for one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history, adding a distinguishable layer to his legacy.
