At 35, point guard Derrick Rose announced his retirement, expressing his gratitude to the game of basketball in a statement and on social media. After sixteen seasons with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, Rose is bowing out, hoping to “show the world” the man he is “beyond the world of basketball.”
In a statement he said he had no regrets. “Whether it’s good or bad, everyone has a certain story in their life (…) Even if I could, I wouldn’t change anything about mine, because it’s what allowed me to find true joy.”
Youngest MVP in NBA history
In 2011, Derrick Rose made history by becoming the youngest player to win the MVP award at just 22 years old while playing for the Chicago Bulls. However, his career was hampered by a series of injuries, including a torn ACL in 2012, when the Bulls were in the running for the NBA title. The injury also forced him to miss the London Olympics that same year.
Despite these obstacles, Derrick Rose played for several prestigious teams, including the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 games.
A tribute to basketball and a new stage of life
On his Instagram account, Derrick Rose posted a photo in which he appears in front of a chess board holding a newspaper, where a message intended for basketball is written.
“Thank you, my first love, you believed in me, through the ups and downs (…) when everything seemed uncertain (…) You made every morning and night we spent together worth every drop of sweat (…) You showed me that passion is something to be cherished, by making sure I put my all into every dribble, every shot, every game,” it read.
Rose finished his career averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists per game in 723 games played, including 518 starts. He played in just 77 games over the last three seasons, including 24 in his lone season in Memphis.
