15-year veteran Derrick Rose announced his retirement on Thursday.
Rose appeared in 24 games last season, starting seven, for the Memphis Grizzlies.
As a 20-year-old in 2008-2009, he won Rookie of the Year with averages of 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds.
Two seasons later, his 25.0-point, 7.7-assist campaign was good enough for him to garner Most Valuable Player honors at age 22. With the honor, he eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld as the youngest MVPs in league history. He led the Bulls to the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost in five games to the Miami Heat. In Game 1, Rose scored 28 points and had six assists in the 21-point Bull win.
Rose electrified the league with his rare combination of athleticism and explosiveness from a point guard. Well-built at 6 foot, 3 inches, 200 pounds, he was a blur in transition and could dunk on you in a flash, but was able to get solid lift on his jump shot.
In Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Rose scored 30 points and hit one of the most memorable playoff shots in league history when he banked in a deep triple to defeat LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers 99-96.
Unfortunately for Rose, the shot came three seasons after his career was altered by injuries. After three-consecutive all-star appearances from 2010-2012, Rose missed all of 2012-2013 with a torn ACL and could never get back to pre-injury form, despite playing crucial roles on the 2016-2017 New York Knicks (18.0 points, 4.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds on 47 percent shooting in 64 games) and the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018-2019 (18.0 points, 48 percent shooting, 27 minutes per game). In Minnesota, he had a 50-point explosion on Oct. 31, 2018, dishing six assists and registering four rebounds on 19-for-31 shooting including four made three-point attempts.
Rose played in Detroit the following year, averaging 18.1 points and 5.6 assists on 49 percent shooting in 26 minutes per game.
After 15 games with the Pistons in 2020-2021, Rose headed back to New York, playing with the Knicks until the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season before going to Memphis for his final NBA campaign.
Despite injuries ruining what surely would have been a Hall-of-Fame-track career, Rose was able to re-invent his game and play at a consistent level and provide veteran leadership for younger guys.
Rose was the top selection in the 2008 out of the University of Memphis, where he was a National runner-up to the University of Kansas in 2008. He went to high school at Chicago’s legendary Simeon Career Academy, where he was Parade All-American, McDonald’s All-American, and Illinois Mr. Basketball all in 2007.
For his NBA career, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds.
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