Derrick Rose, the MVP of the 2010-11 season, has retired from the NBA, he announced early Thursday morning. Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of the University of Memphis, spent 16 years in the league and played in 15 (he sat out the 2012-13 season due to injury). Across those 15 seasons, he played for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.
"Thank you, my first love...You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain. You showed me what love truly meant. You turned the court into my sanctuary, a home where I could express myself freely. You made every early morning and late night we spent together worth every drop of sweat. You reminded me that I could always rely on you, that in every moment of doubt, you would show me what I'm capable of," he wrote in a love letter to basketball on Instagram.
"You introduced me to new places and cultures that a kid from Chicago could have never imagined. You taught me that every loss was a lesson and every win was a reason to be grateful. You offered wisdom that was not just about the game, but about life, discipline, hard work, perseverance. You showed me that passion is something to cherish, ensuring that i pour my heart into every dribble, every shot, every play. You stood by me even when the world seemed against me, unconditionally, waiting for me to pick you up. 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."
Rose was a high school phenom who arrived at the University of Memphis as perhaps the most ballyhooed recruit in program history. He did not disappoint. The Tigers lost only one in the 2007-08 regular season and reached the 2008 National Championship Game before losing to the University of Kansas. Despite missing out on the national title, Rose was good enough in college to be chosen No. 1 overall in the subsequent NBA Draft by his hometown Bulls.
He was an instant success in Chicago, winning Rookie of the Year during the 2009-10 season. A year later, he reached his first All-Star Game, and a year after that, he was named the youngest MVP in NBA history when he took home his second major professional award in three seasons. Rose and the Bulls lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2011 Eastern Conference finals, but his early success created astronomical expectations in Chicago. For the first time in over a decade, it seemed as though the Bulls may have found an heir to Michael Jordan's throne.
Rose never ascended to those heights in part because of injuries that soon followed. In Game 1 of Chicago's 2012 first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose tore the ACL in his left knee. He missed the entire 2012-13 season and never again returned to his All-Star form. He played only 10 games during the 2013-14 campaign, and while he was able to play more consistently afterward, Jimmy Butler had replaced him as the face of Chicago's franchise. In the summer of 2016, he was traded to the New York Knicks. The 2016-17 season was his last as a full-time starter.
Rose bounced around as a relatively successful reserve from there, appearing on Sixth Man of the Year ballots in three separate seasons, but he never recaptured the glory of his youth. At his peak, Rose was one of the NBA's best athletes, a fearless driver who could score over or around any big man in basketball. He improved as a shooter with age, but without that burst, his defining trait as a player was gone.
His career will forever be defined by what might have been had he stayed healthy. History suggests he still has a strong chance to reach the Hall of Fame—every previous MVP winner that has been eligible has made it—but for a brief moment in time, he appeared to be the best chance the Eastern Conference had at producing a genuine rival for James at his peak. It never quite materialized, and Rose retires as one of the league's greatest "what ifs?"
