Derrick Rose announces retirement

The former MVP appeared in 17 games for Cleveland in 2017.

One of the most electrifying and “what if” injury stories in the NBA is officially hanging it up. Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP award winner in league history, announced his retirement on social media this morning. The 35-year-old Rose was with the Memphis Grizzlies most recently before being released last week. He took out a full-page ad in the local newspaper for all six teams he played for in his career - Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis.

Rose appeared in 16 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a tenure clouded with questions when he abruptly left the team to mysteriously rehab an ankle injury. In those games, which included seven starts, Rose averaged 9.8 points on 43.9% shooting before being traded in a three-team deal that sent him to the Utah Jazz. He finished that season with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being released by the Jazz.

By the end of his career, Rose was a journeyman. But before that, he was one of the most intriguing and polarizing players in the league. Rose, the first-overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft to the Bulls, won Rookie of the Year and MVP within three years of entering the league. But everything changed for Rose when he tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, resulting in him missing the next season and essentially all of the following year. Chicago traded him to New York in 2016.

Rose’s career is not without controversy, as he was sued for some heinous allegations involving an ex-girlfriend. The accuser was seeking more than $20 million in damages as part of the lawsuit, which was not reported until two years after the incident was alleged. In October 2016, Rose and two of her friends were found not liable.

The career of Rose will always be regarded as a huge question mark, as he was headed toward a legendary run with the Bulls before the devastating knee injury changed his trajectory. He made the best of his reduced athleticism and speed becoming a quality sixth-man and bench piece for several years. But the ceiling was always higher than that, something that was ultimately, and unfortunately, never seen.