NBA Swing: Derrick Rose Announces Retirement

Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second

After 16 seasons in the NBA, Derrick Rose has announced his retirement. This announcement came after Rose was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. On Thursday, Rose would announce his retirement via a post on Instagram as well as a newspaper ad.

In his announcement, Rose expressed his love for the game and how the game of basketball helped him through everything.

In a statement from Rose’s Memphis Tigers head coach, John Calipari said that he talked with Rose about his decision to retire and move on to the next phase of his life with his family, showing his appreciation for Rose and his growth as a player and person.

Following his single year at Memphis (which resulted in the team going to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship), Rose would be drafted first overall by the Chicago Bulls, who only had a 1.7% chance to land the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Rose would have his best years with his hometown Bulls, leading the team to true relevancy for the first time since this dynasty of the 1990s. Rose would make a splash in Chicago from the start, winning Rookie of the Year in 2009. Rose would lead his team to the playoffs all except one of his seasons with the team. In 2011, he would lead the Bulls to 60 wins and the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998. That same year, Rose would win the 2010-11 NBA MVP award, becoming the youngest MVP in league history at 22-years-old.

The next season, Rose would tear his ACL in a first-round matchup during the 2012 playoffs, something that affected him for the rest of his career. Rose would miss the entire 2012-13 season recovering from the ACL injury. He would return for the 2013-14 season but would only play 10 games before tearing his meniscus. Rose would play two more seasons with the Bulls before trading to the New York Knicks in a moment that was caught on camera during his documentary Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story.

Over the second half of his career, Rose would have stints in New York as well as stints in Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Memphis. In his last season in the league, Rose would only play 24 games with the Grizzlies, averaging 8.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 3.3 APG. In over 700 regular season games, Rose would average 17.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 5.2 APG.

As Rose retires, his accomplishments and accolades cannot be ignored. In addition to his MVP award, Rose would be a three-time All-Star, a member of the All-NBA first team, a McDonald’s All-American, and a two-time FIBA World Cup gold medalist. With a championship alluding to Rose, Basketball Reference gives Rose just a 10% chance of making the Hall of Fame.

Rose’s impact on the game cannot be ignored. He would help usher in a new era of athletic and explosive point guards, with players like Ja Morant playing a similar style of game to him. The biggest question regarding Rose’s career is “What if he never got injured?”, with his ACL injury cutting his prime short.