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A regular opponent of LeBron James in the playoffs in the early 2010s, Derrick Rose ended up teaming up with him in Cleveland.

He also admits to having taken advantage of this cohabitation with the King to extract valuable information from him without his knowledge.

Although he was beaten in the four series that pitted them against each other, he clearly did not deserve it.

Derrick Rose offered remarkable resistance to LeBron James during their playoff clashes, without ever managing to get the better of him.

These were all episodes that were much more memorable than the one… of their reunion, which took place in Cleveland during the 2017-18 season.

Derrick Rose cashes in on the contributions of his duo with LeBron

After spending a year in New York, Rose joined the Cavaliers as a free agent on a minimum contract.

This is evidence of the downgrade he suffered in the NBA at the time , which was reflected on the court.

The point guard never seemed to find his place alongside LeBron, and therefore did not hide the discomfort he felt at that time from Shams Charania a few months later:

Derrick Rose: I was just trying to get back into the league, man. I had to sign with a team that I had been battling for four or five years.

I played with a guy, LeBron, that I had been battling for four or five years. Seriously, man, it was super weird.

But it was the only way I was going to get back into the NBA.

That said, this short experience will have had some positive aspects for the 2011 MVP.

Indeed, the latter was able to draw inspiration from LBJ’s recognized work ethic in order to also better manage the weight of the years.

In 2019, he declared to FOX Sports North :

Derrick Rose: I saw how he took care of his body, and I try to do the same thing (with the Timberwolves). He didn’t notice it, but I kind of spied on him the whole time I was around him. I watched everything he did. And at the same time, you kind of have to, right? You have to take a cue from the great master. So I absorbed everything and I think I learned a lot from him.

Which goes to show that even when your collaboration with the King doesn’t go as well as it could, it’s still beneficial.

Unrecognizable during his few months spent with LeBron James in Cleveland, Derrick Rose nevertheless learned valuable lessons in physical maintenance. Lessons that allow him to continue his career in the league today.