Richard Hamilton had the fortune to play with the best version of Derrick Rose. He spent two years in Chicago, where he witnessed D-Rose’s greatness first hand and collecting great memories from that time. Rose peaked at a very young age and it’s fair to say we never saw him in his prime due to injuries. Now Rose is a veteran, having good numbers before the NBA suspended the season.
Hamilton, though, remembers how great Rose was during their time together in Chicago. He joined All The Smoke podcast hosted by Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where he talked about Rose’s talent, calling the point guard the most talented player he had the chance to play with.
“I played with a lot of great players. Derrick Rose during that time, was probably the most talented player I ever played with,” Hamilton said.
That is quite a compliment for Rose, given that Hamilton shared touches with great players like Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and one guy named Michael Jordan in Washington.
Moreover, the 2004 NBA champion said that during his best times, nobody wanted to mess with Rose, as he was a dominant force in the league.
“There’s a lot of great players in our game right now when you’re talking about the point guard position,” Hamilton said. “Russell Westbrook. You know, you talk about Steph, CP, Kyrie. Listen, none of them dudes wanted no smoke with Derrick Rose in the Derrick Rose era. I’m tellin’ you right now. None of them dudes wanted no smoke with D-Rose during that time.���
It looks like Hamilton really enjoyed his time in Chicago and playing alongside Rose, who would become the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011 after a terrific season with the Bulls. Unfortunately, injuries prevented Rose from having a better career and keep the Chicago Bulls as a relevant team again during his tenure at the United Center.
Still, not a single person that has played with Rose has anything bad to say about him. That guy is great both on and off the court. Sadly, his body didn’t help him and we never saw Rose playing at his maximum level.
