"I done seen people catch the Rose Flu" - Former Chicago Bulls player claims opponents used to fake injuries to avoid Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose's former Chicago Bulls teammate CJ Watson recently confirmed a shocking story narrated by another former teammate of theirs, John Lucas III.
In an appearance on "No Chill With Gilbert Arenas" in January 2021, Lucas claimed that players would fake illnesses and injuries to avoid going up against Rose.
"I've seen people fake injuries, and it's some of your favorite players," said Lucas. "When D-Rose was the MVP, I've seen people catch the Rose flu, and we used to joke about it."
While appearing on the "Inside Buzz" show, Watson confirmed the story from Lucas, saying:
"That was actually true. ... When I signed with Chicago, I've never seen players run from other players or guard certain players. Like Lucas said, having a flu and supposedly sick because they don't wanna guard D-Rose. It definitely happened, he was playing at an unbelievable clip that year."
Derrick Rose, in his prime, was arguably the best point guard in the league at the time. His freakish athleticism, handles and dunking ability made him difficult to contain for his opponents. Rookie Rose was instrumental in the Bulls' return to the playoffs in 2008. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists, shooting 47.5% in his debut year.
The Bulls had missed a trip to the postseason the previous year (2007) after making three consecutive playoff berths between 2004 and 2006. Rose won Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.
Rose was already an All-Star in his sophomore season. He averaged 20.8 points and 6.0 assists per game, shooting 48.9%. The Bulls made the playoffs again but suffered a first-round exit as the eighth seed for the second consecutive season.
Derrick Rose won the MVP in his third year, becoming the youngest player in history at 22 years and six months old to win the individual honor. He averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game, leading the Bulls to the No. 1 seed in the East and a Conference Finals appearance.
Derrick Rose is one of NBA history's biggest "what if" stories
Derrick Rose was arguably a top-five player in the NBA in his MVP season. He was poised to become a perennial MVP candidate and All-Star, but his journey to superstardom ended just as early as it started. In the 2011-12 season, then reigning MVP Rose sustained an ACL injury that derailed his career.
Rose hasn't been 100% healthy since then. He didn't make it to the All-Star game after 2012 and was an All-NBA player in his MVP season alone. Injuries continued to limit him from playing to his potential. Rose eventually got traded to the New York Knicks by the Chicago Bulls in 2016 and has been a role player since.
Derrick Rose got bounced around the league after that as he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks again, collecting DNPs as a veteran backup point guard.
To this day, fans and players wonder how different Rose's career would've been if the unfortunate injuries didn't limit him. He was an MVP at 22, so one can imagine the success he was destined for as he leaned towards his best years in the league.