Paul George used to be the closest challenge Lebron James got in the Eastern Conference, but before him, there was Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.
PG13 came to the league through the Indiana Pacers at a time when Rose had already blossomed into a superstar.
As a young player trying to make a name for himself, George cannot help but marvel at Rose's moves despite his small height. He was also amazed by the gracefulness and the effectiveness of the 2011 MVP's penetration every time he had the ball.
"D Rose was like graceful," the Los Angeles Clippers said in his podcast.
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"It was just [Rose was] an elegant force. He just had the ability to just off a trampoline and he'll just punch that MF in you too. His bounce was incredible. He will chase down block your a**."
PG also recalled the time Rose beat him, even if he thought he had already read the play.
"I remember one play and this is where I knew I'm never doing this shit again. The ball was out of his hands. And I'm hearing from the bench 'Deny!'. So I go out tryin to deny it. He backed out me so fast. My foot did not even plant yet to deny before he was already back out. It was just like a moment."
Rose pushed his defense to another level
This is not the first time eight-time NBA All-Star talked about Rose, who became a journeyman after his devastating ACL injury in 2012.
In April, he recalled how the Chicago Bulls legend turned him into the two-way player he is now.
"The playoffs, like, we're going over schemes, matchups, who's guarding who. And the [are like], 'Alright P, you got D-Rose.' Wait, what? I just started playing. Like y'all trust me guarding the MVP? So I'm like, 'Alright, bet. I'll take the challenge."
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