Derrick Rose retires from NBA after 15 seasons

Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA after 16 years, ending a star-filled career that included the league’s Rookie of the Year and MVP awards but also shaped by injuries.

“The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth,” 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.

“Whether good or bad, everyone has a ‘what if’ story in their life. Even if I could, I wouldn’t change anything in mine, because it’s what helped me find real joy.”

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

Rose announced his retirement on social media. He also bought ads in the newspapers of each of the six cities he played in to thank fans.

Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning in 2011 at 22 years old after averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He beat 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 was limited to 39 games that season. He helped the Bulls surge into the playoffs only to tear 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 direction of his career.

Rose returned for the start of the 2013-14 season only to suffer another knee injury a month into the schedule. The Bulls eventually traded Rose to the Knicks in 2016. After one season in New York, he transitioned to the Cavaliers followed by the Timberwolves and then the Pistons. The Pistons traded Rose back to the Knicks in February 2021 season, and he played well during the playoffs before he was injured near the end of New York’s series loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Rose had asked the Grizzlies to waive him ahead of this season so he could retire. For his 15-season career, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds. Over his final 12 seasons, he appeared in more than 60 games just twice.