Derrick Rose may not look like it now, but there was a time when he was, arguably, one of the most electric players in the entire NBA while playing for the Chicago Bulls . One of the most memorable moments of his career was when he dunked over Goran Dragic in 2010. That moment will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic slams in NBA history.
Prime Rose
Rose was only 21 years old and in just his second season in the Association. Fresh off winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, Rose was looking for an encore in his sophomore season. And so, in a January game against the Phoenix Suns on the latter's home court, Rose found the perfect opportunity to show off his athleticism.
Rose got the ball off a pass from Luol Deng, and immediately went into attack mode. He quickly drove towards the basket and rose up for a two-handed dunk over Suns guard Goran Dragic. The crowd was in awe as Rose held the pose for a few seconds before coming down. The entire crowd was murmuring over what they just saw, and the commentators were in disbelief as well.
Should have known better
Ironically, Dragic would eventually become a Bull, signing with Chicago as a free agent to help the the team's backcourt with some veteran leadership and playoff experience. It wouldn't take long for Dragic to be asked about it, and the Slovenian explained why he had to at least try to block Rose's shot.
“It was my second year in the league. The first year, I did not play much. So my second year, I started to play a little bit. So I had to go for that play,” Dragic said. “Of course, if I knew now, I would never go.”
Rose's dunk not only energized the crowd in Phoenix and Bulls fans everywhere, it also served as a reminder of why Rose was so highly touted coming out of college. He could do things on the court that other players just couldn't replicate. His athleticism and explosiveness made him one of the most dangerous point guards to ever take the floor before an ACL injury robbed him of his prime.
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