While Players Did Not Fear LeBron James, They Used to Get “Rose Flu” to Avoid Derrick Rose, Claim Chicago Bulls Teammates  

Jeet Pukhrambam | 26/03/2023
While Players Did Not Fear LeBron James, They Used to Get "Rose Flu" to Avoid Derrick Rose, Claim Chicago Bulls Teammates  

An odd number of players are going around and talking about how they didn’t fear LeBron James. An absurd concept altogether, it is gaining traction. A lot of former NBA players have come out and said they did not fear facing LeBrnon, but some have even claimed opponents feared Derrick Rose. A lot.

While that may hold a lot of truth on its own. We think that Derrick Rose might be a tad less intimidating than LeBron James. And we find it rather bizarre that players are saying they don’t fear an All-Timer. Perhaps even the greatest ever to play the game in the eyes of a few.

So, how come the love for an explosive yet small-sized point guard like Derrick Rose, and yet there is vitriol surrounding LeBron James, a player whose dominance is unquestionable?

Propaganda? Just statements that are as thin as air?

Former Chicago Bulls teammates of Derrick Rose claim opponents got “Rose Flu” because they feared him!

Yes, Rose Flu, a made-up disease that supposedly was used in lieu of facing Derrick Rose. Certain teammates of the 2011 NBA MVP claim that opponents used to fake injuries and sicknesses to avoid matchups with the prolific guard.

The statement might hold some gravity of truth and two Chicago Bulls teammates of Rose, John Lucas III, and CJ Watson have both confirmed it.

Rose in his prime was near unguardable and he even beat LeBron James to an MVP award. A feat not a lot of players can claim to do.

But despite the revelation, we think opponents would have feared LeBron far more.

The uneasy vitriol around LeBron James makes little sense, he is one of the greatest players of all time!

Some statements, no matter how true sound downright absurd. Players hating on LeBron James and saying they didn’t fear him, is exactly one of those statements. How can any NBA player not have fear in their heart when facing a top-2 player of all time?

And throughout his career, he has maintained his explosive and athletic style of play. On his day, he is unguardable and on the defensive end, he is a one-man train.

The worst part is that King James’ own teammate, Mario Chalmers made the statement. However, we have receipts from his time in LA where opponents feared LBJ more than god himself.

So, who do you think was more feared? Was it Derrick Rose during his prime? Or LeBron James during his?

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam
Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose LeBron James NBA

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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