Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is retiring, the 35-year-old guard told The Athletic.
The Chicago Bulls selected Rose No. 1 out of Memphis in the 2008 NBA Draft, and the Chicago native is still the youngest player in league history to win MVP, doing so at the age of 22 in 2011. The three-time All-Star was most productive in the NBA during his tenure in Chicago, posting 19.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per contest in seven seasons.
After being traded from Chicago, he played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies before last season. The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Grizzlies were waiving Rose.
“The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth. I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball,” Rose said in a statement to The Athletic.
“Whether good or bad, everyone has a ‘What if’ story in their life. Even if I could, I wouldn’t change anything in mine, because it’s what helped me find real joy.”
Rose won Rookie of the Year in 2009 after averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game and followed that with the first of his three All-Star seasons in 2009-10. In his third season, Rose started 81 games, averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per contest, and led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 regular-season record en route to winning MVP.
The Bulls posted a 50-16 mark, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the best in the league, in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, but a torn ACL in Game 1 of Chicago’s first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers derailed Rose’s career, limiting the athleticism he used to dominate around the rim. Despite that grueling injury, Rose maintained himself in the league for a total of 16 seasons.
For his career, Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists over 723 regular-season games.
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