Derrick Rose is one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in NBA history. Injuries robbed fans from getting to witness his greatness for an extended period, but a young Derrick Rose was as exciting a player as the league had seen. Rose was high-flying, a highlight machine, and an excellent scorer, and he looked like he would be the one to usher in a new era of greatness for the Chicago Bulls.
This became apparent to everyone more than ever during the 2010-11 NBA season, during which DRose became the MVP of the league. At the age of just 22, Rose is still the youngest player ever to win the prestigious award, no one has achieved that feat since. And while many at the start of the season wouldn’t have believed that Rose would be the MVP in 2011, the man himself knew exactly what he was capable of.
Derrick Rose Made An Amazing Statement That He Could Be The MVP In 2011 And Backed It Up By Winning The Award
In 2011, Rose was the best player on a Bulls team that had a league-leading 62-20 record. He averaged massive numbers, scoring 25 points per game over 81 games, during which he averaged 37 minutes per game as well. And even before the season began, Rose knew he could perform at that level, and his words were reported by ESPN at the time.
“It’s high,” Rose said of self-confidence. “The way I look at it within myself, why not? Why can’t I be the MVP of the league,” he asked. “Why can’t I be the best player in the league? I don’t see why [not]. Why can’t I do that?
“I think I work hard. I think I dedicate myself to the game and sacrifice a lot of things at a young age, and I know if I continue to do good, what I can get out of it.”
This was a time when Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant were all excelling in the league. So the fact that Rose had this kind of confidence in himself goes to show just how great he was.
A devastating injury to his knee in 2012 saw Rose miss the entire following season, and he could never again recapture what had made him great in his early years. He is still a very respected figure in the NBA, but the question of how much more he could have done will always remain.
