2011 MVP Derrick Rose is retiring from the NBA after a 16-year career.
Rose, 35, announced his retirement on social media earlier this morning. He also placed full-page ads in local newspapers in the six cities where he played throughout his career, including ads in Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis, to thank all the different fan bases.
Rose was the number one pick in the 2008 draft, drafted by his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. The more undersized size guard at 6-foot-3 quickly became an NBA star with a mix of incredible athleticism and fearlessness when attacking the rim, making Rose a fan favorite. Rose won Rookie of the Year in the 2008-2009 season and was an All-Star for three straight seasons following his rookie season. In 2011, he became the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award at only 22 years old. Rose averaged 25 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record and an Eastern Conference Finals run.
After this historic season, Rose's career took a turn for the worse. He tore his ACL in the first round of the 2012 playoffs against the Sixers. Rose missed the entire 2013 season with this injury and only played ten games in the 2013-2014 season. Rose and the Bulls' relationship would not recover fully, as the star was traded to the Knicks during the 2016 offseason. After this trade, Rose joined four more teams and became a journeyman for the rest of his career.
Rose's best moment post-Bulls career was his career-high 50-point performance on the Timberwolves in 2018. This performance led to a 128-125 win over the Jazz, during which Rose got emotional in a post-game interview. It was a brilliant show of emotion and passion that all NBA fans loved to see from the beloved Rose.
Rose finished his career with an average of 17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG on 45.6% career shooting from the field. Rose played a career 723 games with 518 total starts but only played 77 games throughout the last three seasons. He finished his career in Memphis, where he played college basketball, bringing them to the championship game in the 2008 season. NBA fans will remember Rose's historic career and can't wait to see what retirement has in store for him.
