Derrick Rose has always been in awe of Michael Jordan‘s greatness and never questioned his ability to dominate anyone on the court. He also didn’t feel like the Chicago Bulls legend had to prove his greatness — his legacy spoke for itself.
That mindset influenced Rose’s response when he was asked about Jordan’s famous claim that he could beat any player one-on-one — except for Kobe Bryant, who, according to the Bulls icon, stole all his moves.
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To Rose, Jordan is not only one of the greatest players of all time, but also someone who’s earned the right to speak his mind.
“Basketball is a real competitive sport, and for somebody like Michael Jordan, the foundation he left and the legacy he left, the résumé he has, come on man, he can say whatever he wants to say,” Rose told ESPN back in 2013. “You’re your own man. It’s what you believe, it’s not what anybody else believes about you. Everybody has their own opinions.”
Rose wouldn’t want to take on Jordan one-on-one
Apart from being arguably the most explosive scoring point guard of his time, Rose was also known for being very secure with his skills.
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Regardless of what people say about him and his game, he never felt the need to respond to criticism.
In fact, Rose didn’t even take it as negative when Jordan didn’t mention him as one of the greatest NBA players he would have loved to play one-on-one with. He even said that he didn’t want to be mentioned in such a conversation.
“For me, I just try to stay out [of] that and stay in my own lane and do my own thing,” the 2011 MVP explained.
“I’m good … I’m good … I’m good, man,” he answered with a smile when asked if he would like to face Jordan in a one-on-one game. “I’m alright.”
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MJ thinks he could beat LeBron, too
Years after Jordan made these comments, he doubled down on his words and said he could beat anybody from today’s NBA if he were in his prime.
When asked about who he would rather face between the league’s two best players at the time, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Jordan picked the Golden State Warriors superstar. However, that doesn’t mean he doubts his abilities in a hypothetical matchup against James.
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“Well, I’d go against Stephen Curry because I’m a little bit bigger than him so I could back him in, but LeBron’s a little bit too big,” Jordan said in 2019. “If I was in my prime, could I beat LeBron in a one-on-one game? No question. And he’s going to say no question.”
Ultimately, this will never be more than a hypothetical. That said, it also makes the subject even more intriguing and exciting, often sparking passionate debates among fans.
Almost every legendary player, regardless of era, has what it takes to be dominant one-on-one. At the same time, they are also entitled to claim that they could beat anybody or even declare that they are the best. After all, that confidence helped him maximize their potential in the NBA. Who are we to tell them they are wrong?
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.