Thursday, March 10th, 2011 at 10:00 am  |  229 responses

Michael Jordan: Derrick Rose is the MVP


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Given his individual dominance as a basketball player, and the Chicago Bulls‘ strong play this season, Derrick Rose‘s MVP candidacy was already carrying a strong case.

To the delight of Rose and Chicago Bulls fans everywhere, the stud point guard now also has the public support of the game’s greatest player.

Michael Jordan thinks Rose is the League MVP this year, but warns (from personal experience) that the award is by no means a guarantee.

The Chicago Tribune has the quotes:

“MVP of the season,” the Bobcats owner said Wednesday night after the Bulls downed his team 101-84. “He deserves it. He’s playing that well, without a doubt.” Then Jordan offered that sly smile. “And if he doesn’t get it, now he will see how I felt a lot of those years,” the Bulls’ Hall of Famer said.

“I wish man,” Rose said. “It’s great that he said that. It’s an honor. I’m speechless. But I’m just trying to keep winning. The award will come if we keep winning. I’m just trying to play hard and aggressive and with an edge.” Rose said he hopes to pick Jordan’s brains about winning in the future. “You always know when he’s in the building,” Rose said. “His presence is probably the craziest of all the NBA players who have played this game.”

Of course, MJ doesn’t have an official say in the matter. But it would be foolish to think that his opinion won’t matter when the media casts their votes at season’s end.

Not bad for a Chi-Town kid to get such a ringing endorsement from the city’s greatest sports hero.

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  • JTaylor21

    Michael, good point but I just feel that being a boxer takes more skills, time and effort than it takes to be a MMA fighter. Plus going 12 rounds is twice as taxing as going 5 rounds, it’s based off personal experience.

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    JTaylor: Yeah man, that is what it’s about. I understand why guys don’t like MMA. Grappling can be hard to appreciate (and many fighters use tire-out, boring tactics) and because you have to defend against so many attacks, the stances and defenses aren’t as technical as a pure art like boxing or kick boxing. But I love it because of its complexities. It’s all good.
    Enigmatic: Well, dude really focused on his standup game to the point where it’s bar none (he literally just won K1′s world grand prix! That’s ridiculous for an MMA guy), and he’s just bulked up so much that it’s really hard to control him on the ground.
    As I said, he’s sort of all-or-nothing. He’s actually sort of like a really technical Lesnar, he bulls in with his head down, but if you don’t abuse his bullheadedness, yer screwed.

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    Also, steroids: www(dot)musclephilosophy(dot)com(slash)home(slash)images(slash)stories(slash)overeem-timeline(dot)jpg

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    JTaylor: what makes you say it is harder to be a boxer? It certainly takes more stamina, I’ll give you that, but why does it take more skill? I disagree with that, interested to hear yer reasoning.

  • http://nobulljive.com/ Enigmatic

    To be fair, I’ve been in plenty of grapples, never an actual MMA match, obviously, but just good old military “get in the circle and try to submit the other guy” grapples.
    Whereas I’ve never boxed, so can’t really say which one requires more skill, stamina, effort, etc.

  • http://nobulljive.com/ Enigmatic

    Oh, and pause.
    Cause “get in the circle and try to submit the other guy” requires a “pause” afterwards. LOL

  • Michael

    Co sign Jukai. The more skill thing comes up often in these debates but I dont see it.

  • Michael

    ^to clarify, I believe there is just as much if not more skill in MMA as in boxing, though i do have a bit of an MMA/Karate background so i might be biased. I have never done any sort of pure boxing training. I will agree however that a top notch boxing match is(most of the time) a lot prettier to watch then a top notch MMA fight, but that doesnt mean there is more skill involved.

  • http://nobulljive.com/ Enigmatic

    Jukai, what’s the difference between K1 and like, UFC and Pride and all that?
    Is K1 just traditional kickfighting rules?
    Pardon my ignorance. Never seen K1 before.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    While Rose may get the MVp award….it’s only Kobe who knows how MJ feels to be the best ever.

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    Michael: I think people get skill and technicality confused. There’s obviously a lot more TECHNICAL techniques in boxing. You can have your arms and legs in a classical position. With the possibility of being grabbed or taken down, you can’t fight like that, your legs have to be more rooted, your arms lower. Some people think it’s sloppy, but it’s the hybrid style of MMA. If you go in and fight with a peak-a-boo stance in the octagon, someone’s slamming your ass on the canvas.
    Enigmatic: K1 holds a few occasional MMA competitions, but generally, K1 is one of the premier kickboxing leagues in the world.

  • Michael

    Jukai speaks the truth.

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    It goes both ways though, if you go into the ring with your hands lowered and your feet flat, you’re going to get your teeth knocked out.
    There are TONS of boxers in MMA, they just have to adjust to defend against the other styles of martial arts.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    Sumo wrestling… is that technical… or just uncomfortable?

  • JTaylor21

    Jukai, things like footwork, hand-eye coordination, sense of timing and distance, ability to outsmart your opponent. You also have to master the art of deception and the ability to make your opponent fall into a trap.
    I mean that’s just a few aspects a person needs to master in order to become a good boxer.

  • http://sdfklf.com Jukai

    Dacre: make dem jokes, Lyoto Machida uses some sumo in the clinch!
    JTaylor: I know exactly what you’re saying, with head/body dodging and all that, but I don’t think that makes it a more skillful sport… nor do I feel the footwork/hand-eye cordination/sense of timing and distance/outsmarting your opponent is superior in boxing. I just think it takes place in a more obvious, technical, and eye-appealing way.

  • JTaylor21

    I actually have a lot of respect for MMA fighters because it’s no joke taking hits to the head repeatedly, your putting your life on the line whenever you decide to get into combat sports.

  • Michael

    no doubt JT.

  • ii3irty1ii

    Rose gets my vote for MVP. I was going to say that Kobe was creeping up on him but after the performance he gave tonight, its ROSE for SURE.

  • dreny4life

    Bron Bron is the Mvp

  • http://slamonline.com Mars

    “MVP” Most VALUABLE Player…

  • http://slamonline.com Mars

    oh and MMA ARE YOU SERIOUS? GSP OR Anderson Silva all day. Lesnar is a wrestling legend but he aint got s**t on King Kong.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Mars

    @AllenP, thank you for putting me on the list. I was just being honest. @Bryan Crawford, don’t hype it up then don’t vote. If you vote, it shows DRose has loyal fans. oh and it’s the afternoon over here so sorry for the time difference.

  • http://nba.com EJ

    I’m now 99% sure that JTaylor is Bruceblitz, cause he’s talking about boxing.

  • http://slam FLIGHT 9

    D. Rose is the MVP period. case close… Heat will lose in the 2nd round but If they face the knicks in the 1st its another story. Bulls will rep the east baby…..

  • Wall Ball

    Shut up Mars…Do you watch basketball? Better yet do you have cable? Do you watch the Bulls…Put D-Rose on the Celtics last year and they win. He’s a winner unlike LeBum…Winners win wherever they are…He doesn’t need Booz although he’s a heck of an addition. If you’ve watched you’ll see that Boozer has missed over 20 games and so has Noah so what do you mean about him playing with all-stars…Booz is undersized why do you think Utah couldn’t win with him in the west. He’s agile but not as athletic as many of the leagues younger bigs. He can’t bang with the Gasol and Bynum. D-Rose is MVP.Tell Lebum to pass the rock to D-
    Wade like he did the other night in the closing moments if he wants to win…Its not about numbers Mars, its about what you mean to your team…Take Lebum off the heat and that would force Bosh and Wade to ball…They may even be better…

  • Shoob

    All you gotta do to see who deserves the MVP is…..take the top contenders for the trophy, see who has won the the most games against the other, i.e. Rose vs LeBron = Rose 2-0, Rose vs Howard = Rose 2-1, etc., then take team total wins and player efficiency. I think that would probably seal it for Rose.

  • http://FaceBook.com/TimBuckTuTOC TimBuckTu

    D-Rose For MVP[Official Song]
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  • sport j

    i said when rose was diagnosed with that stomach prob, he was on a mission look now the greatest confirmed, his at all cost dedcation,chicago off the hook, (We here in detroit need a midwest kid to start us back up on top of the east, straight up,

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