Former MVP Derrick Rose retires from NBA after 16-year career

Former MVP Derrick Rose retires from the NBA after a 16-year career.

“Knowing that I gave everything to the game, I'm confident in my decision,” Rose told ESPN. “Basketball was just the beginning for me. Now it's important that I give everything for my family – they deserve it.”

Rose, 35, announced his decision on social media Thursday morning and also posted pages in the local newspapers of the six NBA cities where he played – Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis – to thank each fan base.

The Memphis Grizzlies granted Rose's request to release him from the final year of his contract earlier this week.

Rose entered the league as the number 1 pick in the 2008 draft and joined the Chicago Bulls, his hometown. The 6'3″ point guard quickly developed into one of the NBA's most exciting young stars, dominating and impressing with his combination of athleticism and fearlessness.

Rose won Rookie of the Year in 2008-09 and was an All-Star the following three seasons, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history. He won the honor as a 22-year-old in the 2010-11 season, when he averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game and led the Bulls to a league record of 62-20 before advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.

Rose's career took a turn when he tore his ACL in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. He missed the entire next season and only played in 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. He was an itinerant player in the second half of his career, as Rose was often hampered by injuries.

Rose finished his career averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 games played, 518 of which were starts. He played in just 77 games over the last three seasons, including 24 in his only season in Memphis, the city where he played on a college team that advanced to the national championship game in 2008.