Derrick Rose retires after 16 NBA seasons
Former NBA MVP and Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose announced his retirement Thursday after 16 seasons.
"You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain," Rose wrote on Instagram in a tribute to basketball.
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Rose's hometown Bulls drafted him first overall in 2008. The explosive point guard immediately became a star, averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game in 2008-09 to win Rookie of the Year.
Rose was named MVP two seasons later, averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists per contest in 2010-11. At 22 years and seven months, he remains the youngest MVP winner in NBA history.
However, Rose suffered a torn ACL during the 2012 postseason and subsequently missed the entire 2012-13 campaign. The ailment was the first in a string of knee injuries, and he was never quite the same player again. Rose averaged 21 points per game across his first four seasons, compared to 15.1 points per contest over the final 11 campaigns of his career.
"Drafting Derrick in 2008 was a special moment, not just for the Bulls organization, but for Derrick, the kid from Chicago, realizing his dream of playing for his hometown team," Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "As both a player and a person, Derrick represents the grit, resilience, and heart of this city. He's one of the toughest and most determined athletes I've ever been around, constantly fighting through adversity that would have broken most."
After six seasons with the Bulls, Rose bounced around the league between the New York Knicks (two stints), Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies. The 35-year-old averaged eight points and 3.3 assists per game as a rotational player in 24 appearances for the Grizzlies during his final season in 2023-24.
On the international stage, Rose won a pair of FIBA World Cups with the United States in 2010 and 2014.