The Chicago Bulls honored legendary point Derrick Rose on January 4, and the rest of the NBA followed suit. Rose’s impact on the game has impacted many former and current players despite his prime being cut short due to injuries. Rose was one of the NBA’s most beloved players, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history. However, Pelicans star Trey Murphy III believes people would love Rose even if he didn’t win the historic award.
Advertisement
Murphy took to The Young Man and The Three Podcast to discuss his opinions on the Bulls’ celebration of Rose. Although people debate whether Rose deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame, Murphy believes his influence on the game is undeniable. He said,
“Even if people want to argue about his Hall-of-Fame status, he goes down as one of the best or at least one of the most influential players, one of the most idolized player in the entire history of the NBA. Everybody loved D Rose. In my opinion, there’s not one person that could really say they dislike D Rose.”
During the halftime ceremony of Derrick Rose night on January 4, former Bulls teammate Joakim Noah called Rose the people’s champ. Murphy doubled down on that sentiment and points to Rose’s personality as the reason.
Rose carried himself differently than most players with a similar play style. His explosiveness rivaled that of Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant, and many people backed Rose as the most athletic guard ever. However, he wasn’t flamboyant with his play. Instead, he kept to himself and remained humble.
Born and raised in Chicago, Rose made it to the top, despite the odds stacked against him. As a result, people gravitated toward his humble upbringing and underdog story. According to Murphy a large reason for Rose’s popularity shares a connection to his humbleness.
Everybody loved Derrick Rose
There aren’t many players that the masses share a universal love for. Although LeBron James has an enormous fan base, there is still a portion of fans who dislike the Lakers star. The same goes for Warriors star Stephen Curry. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Rose.
Rose allowed his play to do the talking for him. Whenever it mattered most, he stepped up to the challenge. His MVP award was just the cherry on top to solidify his status among the fans. However, his resilience following his devastating knee injury only catapulted his endearment among supporters.
Regardless of whether Rose makes the Hall-of-Fame or not, his legacy will live on forever in the hearts of the basketball faithful.
