Former MVP Derrick Rose is retiring from the NBA after 16 years.
Rose, 35, announced his decision on social media Thursday morning. He also took out full-page ads in local newspapers in the six NBA cities where he played – Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis – thanking the fan bases in each.
“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.
The Memphis Grizzlies granted Rose’s request and released him from the final year of his contract.
Rose entered the league as the first pick in the 2008 draft and joined his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. The 6-foot-3 point guard was a dominant presence with a combination of athleticism and fearlessness and quickly emerged as one of the most exciting young stars in the NBA.
Rose was named Rookie of the Year in 2008-2009 and was an All-Star the following three seasons. He became the youngest MVP in NBA history. He won the honor at age 22 during the 2010-11 season, averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game while leading the Bulls to a 62-20 league record and subsequent appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rose’s career changed when he tore his ACL in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. He missed the entire next season and only played 10 games in the 2013-14 season.
His eight-year career with the Bulls ended when Chicago traded Rose to the New York Knicks during the 2016 offseason. Rose was a migrant worker during the latter half of his career, as he was often hampered by injuries.
Rose finished his career appearing in 723 games, starting 518 of them, averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists per game. He played in just 77 games over the past three seasons, including 24 in his lone season with Memphis, where he was a star player on the college team that reached the 2008 national championship game.