Luol Deng reveals how the Bulls helped Rose become the youngest MVP ever: 'All of us, setting screens, getting Derrick the ball in the fourth quarter...'

Building a championship contender requires more than assembling the guys who put up stats on the board. While individual performances matter, the true key lies in team chemistry. Players must connect, embrace their roles, and operate as one on and off the court. And when everyone is on the same page, the journey toward the elusive NBA championship becomes more achievable—though never a guarantee.

Luol Deng, the South Sudanese player, knows this well, having experienced it firsthand with the Chicago Bulls at the turn of the last decade. The squad, led by the youngest MVP ever, Derrick Rose, along with Joakim Noah and other good but not great players, built a brotherhood for life. Deng still recalls those days fondly when every one of them was in their playing prime.

“I was so blessed. I’ve had so many good teammates but I always tell people, when you look back, the closest people that you are to, people who are similar, who bring the best out of you. With Jo, Derrick, Ben, Tabo, all these guys… I will give John Paxton the credit, he really recruited on character, more than just skills. Because of our character, we were okay with success being for all of us. We became such a caring team,” Deng said in his recent interview on the Knuckleheads podcast.

“For example, Derrick’s MVP year, I remember 30 or 40 games into it, we knew Derrick had the chance to win the MVP. What was so crazy, I became All-Star that year, but honestly I was so driven at delivering Derring being MVP. All of us, setting screens, getting Derrick the ball in the fourth quarter, cutting moving, win as many as we can so he could win the award,” the retired forward shared.

Get Rose that MVP

In the 2010-11 season, the Bulls finished with a 62-20 record, positioning themselves as top contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy. Thanks to immense support from his teammates, "D-Rose" became the youngest MVP at just 22 years and 7 months. As Deng recalls, it was a complete team effort, with egos set aside for a shared goal—winning at all fronts.

The team seemed destined for the NBA Finals, but in the Eastern Conference, the LeBron James-led Miami Heat super team presented a formidable challenge. Unfortunately for the Duke product and Chicago, it was an obstacle that they never managed to overcome.

The Bulls couldn’t overcome “The King”

Deng faced off against LeBron in multiple playoffs, and as the defensive specialist he always aimed to disrupt the superstar’s rhythm. However, it was time and time again that “The King” came up victorious. 

Even though there was no player in the league who could single-handedly prevent James from doing his thing, Luol always made sure to be a nuisance with his presence. Even though the Heat superstar would put up numbers on the board, Deng tried to make it as hard as possible. Reflecting on that short rivalry, it is clear that if there was no Miami in the East, Chicago could very well have a ring after the iconic Jordan era.