Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in NBA history, is calling it a career after 16 seasons in the league.
Rose, 35, made his decision public Thursday morning on social media and with full-page ads in six local newspapers in cities where he played.
‘Thank You, My First Love,’ Rose wrote on Instagram in a tribute to the game of basketball. ‘You gave me a gift, our time together, one that I will cherish for the rest of my days. You told me it’s okay to say goodbye, reassuring me that you’ll always be a part of me, no matter where life takes me.
‘Forever yours, Derrick Rose.’
The Chicago Bulls selected Rose first overall in the 2008 NBA draft out of Memphis, and he quickly rose to superstar level − earning the first of three consecutive All-Star berths in 2010 and winning MVP honors in 2011 at the age of 22 when he led Chicago to an NBA-best 62-20 record.
The 2009 NBA rookie of the year, Rose’s best statistical season came two years later, when he averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game for the Bulls in being named the league’s MVP. They ended up losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals that season − the closest Rose ever came to winning an NBA championship.
His career was derailed when he suffered a torn ACL during the first round of the playoffs in 2012, an injury that forced him to miss all of the following season. From there, his game was never quite as explosive.
Rose remained with the Bulls for eight seasons (sitting out the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury), before playing for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and, last season, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Over his career, Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 regular-season games.
