The announcement was expected following the termination of his contract with the Grizzlies two days ago. After sixteen long years in the NBA, Derrick Rose will retire. The point guard will have left a lasting impression on fans who followed his career strewn with pitfalls. From his thunderous beginnings to a dotted end to the adventure, a look back at the NBA career of the phenomenon.
Has any player been more unanimous than Derrick Rose in the NBA in recent years? With a delicate history with the big league, the leader will have distilled all the possible emotions to fans of the orange ball. Great and beautiful ones, as well as sad and terrible ones. If time tends to erase memories, the memories of the man’s first years in the NBA are still very present.
Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in history
Having landed at the Bulls in 2008 after being drafted in 1st position, the one who had shone in the NCAA with the Memphis Tigers was supposed to be the one who would put Chicago back on top, after a catastrophic post-Jordan decade. This workaholic task, D-Rose will have accomplished it with force. Under the orders of Tom Thibodeau, he will immediately have carte blanche. Full of talent, his first steps will be thunderous, and rewarded by the title of Rookie of the Year.
Unstoppable with the ball in hand, physically strong, and with an incredible jump, Rose only needed three seasons to establish himself as one of the best players in the league. A true highlight machine, he would experience consecration during the 2010-2011 season. With 25 points and nearly 8 assists on average per game, he became the youngest MVP in history, at only 22 years old. Well surrounded by an army of blue-collar players at his command (Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Omer Asik, etc.), the alchemy is perfect.
Also read – NBA: MVP, MIP, DPOY… all the winners
A terrible injury that breaks a crazy rise
Candidates for the title, the Bulls seemed capable of going all the way in 2012. But the sad evening of April 28 would call into question all the bright future that awaited this association. During the first match of the playoffs against Philadelphia, Thibodeau surprisingly decided to leave his point guard on the court while the victory was in the bag.
With 70 seconds to go, tragedy struck. On a random support, his knee gave way. Verdict: torn cruciate ligament. That was only the beginning of the problems. The 2011 MVP made his return fifteen months later. But after ten games, it was the turn of the right meniscus to whistle, and lead to another premature end to the season.
After two years of mishaps, Rose returned to a solid level during the 2014-2015 season, and was close to participating in the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, his injuries drastically affected his athletic abilities, but also his confidence. Deprived of his jump and his devastating penetrations, he would never again regain his former level.
The 50 points with Minnesota, the ultimate coup
The NBA being a cruel business, he will not be extended by Chicago in the summer of 2016. His career will then take a completely different turn. Phil Jackson’s Knicks attract him, and if the boy does the job (18 points on average), this version of the New Yorkers will be a real disaster. At only 29 years old, the player is going through a difficult period. Recruited by Lebron James’ Cavs, he will strongly consider bowing out prematurely, before finding a second wind in Minnesota.
Author of great performances with the Wolves, he will offer a final magical moment on October 31, 2018. For Halloween, the former MVP signs his career points record by slamming 50 points. His emotion at the end of the game will have been a moving moment, and the rain of praise that followed reinforced the aura of this performance. The rest will be more anecdotal. Still bothered by his body, he will pass through Detroit, New York again, then Memphis.
A reserved seat on the ceiling of the United Center in Chicago
Thanks to his game intelligence and a much more efficient shot than at the beginning of his career, he will continue to be an offensive threat until his last games despite a reduced role. Last game which will have taken place on February 29, in Minnesota. If at the end of April, Derrick Rose assured that he would still be in Memphis at the restart, he finally changed his mind. A possible continuation of his career could be considered, in the NBA or abroad. But at almost 36 years old, and after all the trials experienced, rest is well deserved.
Despite the eternal regrets surrounding that damn injury he suffered in 2012, Derrick Rose has made history in the big leagues. His iconic number 1 will undoubtedly be quickly retired by the Bulls to sit on the ceiling of the United Center, and a place in the NBA Hall of Fame is warmly reserved for him. Just rewards for one of the most iconic players of the last fifteen years.
Derrick Rose’s track record
In the NBA
- MVP 2011
- 3 All-Star Game selections (2010, 2011, 2012)
- All-NBA First Team 2011
- Rookie of the Year 2009
With Team USA
- World Champion 2010 and 2014
A keen follower of sports in the broad sense, I have been sharing my passion for about ten years, no matter the terrain! Basketball, ice hockey, cycling, shooting, fencing, I consume everything that comes along with relish.
