Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose announces his retirement from basketball after 16 seasons
Youngest MVP in league history in 2011
Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and the 2011 MVP, officially announced his retirement from basketball on Thursday. At just 22 years old when he claimed the MVP award, Rose remains the youngest player in NBA history to earn the prestigious honor, a highlight in what would become a remarkable 16-year career. In a heartfelt letter posted on Instagram, Rose reflected, “You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain.”
Rose made an immediate impact in the league, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2008-09 and securing three All-Star selections within his first four seasons. However, his career trajectory was dramatically altered by a devastating knee injury during the 2012 playoffs, causing him to miss nearly two full seasons. Despite these setbacks and moments of uncertainty, Rose always found the resilience to return to the court.
In addition to his time with the Bulls, Rose played for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies. Last season, he returned to Memphis, where he had spent his lone college season, playing 24 games for the Grizzlies. Reflecting on his journey, Rose said in April, “It’s all full circle… Being back in this arena, having people who watched me in college now watching me as a pro, it’s all love.”
Over his career, Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists across 723 regular-season games. Before his ACL injury, he averaged 21 points per game; even after the injury, he managed a solid 15.1 points per game. He often displayed flashes of his MVP form, including a career-high 50-point game with the Timberwolves in 2018 and a 12-assist game for the Pistons in 2019.
Dwyane Wade, Rose’s former teammate and NBA Hall of Famer, once remarked, “With D-Rose, it was never a question of his talent. It was always about his health. And when he was healthy, everyone saw all the talent.” Rose's grit and determination also made him a top contender for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award for three consecutive seasons (2018-2021), and he even received a first-place MVP vote in 2021, a decade after his initial win.
Rose’s journey from a tough upbringing in Chicago to NBA superstardom was meteoric. From hitting the game-winning shot in the 2006 Illinois state high school championship to being crowned NBA MVP just five years later, Rose’s legacy is one of resilience, brilliance, and perseverance.
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