Derrick Rose ends NBA career after 15 seasons

Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA after 16 years, ending a star-studded career that included awards as Rookie of the Year and MVP of the league, but was also marked by injuries.

“The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth with others,” Rose said in a statement. “I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball.”

“For better or for worse, everyone has a ‘what if’ story in their life. Even if I could, I wouldn’t change mine because it helped me find true joy.”

Rose was selected No. 1 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. He also played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, who released him less than a week ago.

Rose announced his retirement on social media and also took out ads in the newspapers of the six cities where he played to thank his fans.

Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning in 2011 at age 22 after averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds, beating out Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the award.

After signing a five-year, $95 million contract extension with the Bulls in December 2011, Rose only played in 39 games that season. He helped the Bulls make the playoffs, but tore his ACL in the first game of the postseason against the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury caused him to miss the entire next season and forever changed the course of his career.

Rose returned to start the 2013-14 season, but suffered another knee injury a month into the game. The Bulls eventually traded Rose to the Knicks in 2016. After one season in New York, he moved to the Cavaliers, followed by the Timberwolves and then the Pistons. The Pistons traded Rose back to the Knicks in February 2021, and he played well during the playoffs before getting injured late in New York’s series loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Rose had asked the Grizzlies to release him before this season so he could retire. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in his 15-year career, playing in more than 60 games just twice in his final 12 seasons.