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On Sep. 26, 2024, Derrick Rose officially announced his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA). This brought an abrupt end to the Chicago native’s 16 season long career.
Fans learned of his retirement from a post to his Instagram account, which included pictures of himself reading a newspaper with his public statement.
The statement read, “Thank You, My First Love … You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain.”
Rose continued stating his appreciation for the experiences and knowledge he gained from his time in the league, before ending his statement.
“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. Forever yours, Derrick Rose”
The announcement came as a bitter-sweet moment for fans across the world. Though he was able to achieve a career that will surely guarantee him a spot in the NBA Hall of Fame, there’s no question that most fans believe he could have done much more.
When you think of the biggest “what-ifs” in sports, perhaps none are bigger than Rose. Fans will always be left wondering; what if Rose never suffered his career altering ACL injury?
Before his injury, Rose was on a tear throughout the NBA. He came into the league as a first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, placing high expectations for the 19 year-old Rose.
Those expectations were not only met, but absolutely shattered when Rose became the youngest MVP award winner in 2011, at only 22 years old.
Rose became the biggest star the Chicago Bulls had seen since the Michael Jordan era. Unfortunately, we were robbed of seeing Rose reach his prime, as an ACL tear in his left knee during game one in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs permanently changed the course of his career.
As a result of the injury, Rose lost the explosive athleticism that fans had become accustomed to and injuries constantly began to haunt him during the rest of his time in the Bulls organization.
Rose was traded away to the New York Knicks in 2016 and went on to play for three other teams before ending his career with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite his many battles with injuries, Rose refused to let down. When people counted Rose out, he fired back with performances that showed what he was still capable of.
On Oct. 31, 2018, Rose had the best scoring performance of his career, pushing his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates to a win over the Utah Jazz. He racked up 50 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, which provided just enough to gain the three point lead that ensured the win.
In an emotional post-game interview, Rose was asked what it meant for him to lead his team to a win with his career-high performance.
“Man, everything, man. I work my a** off bro… I’m doing anything just to win. I played my heart out… Tonight was a hell of a night,” Rose expressed.
While the interviewer and fans on social media compared his performance to that of “the old D Rose”, I believe this was a testament of the new version of Rose. A version that had matured into the veteran leader that any team could depend on to mentor a young team.
X user @mirrormaruu, shared his thoughts on Rose’s career,
“The career of Derrick Rose has been nothing but inspirational to me in multiple ways. … Rose battled career ending injuries but never gave up and continued to work hard to play the game of basketball again. I shed a few tears when Rose scored 50 points versus the Utah Jazz. Forever one of my favorite players, Thank you for everything D. Rose.”
Though Rose will certainly be remembered for his accolades, I believe the real legacy he leaves behind is his refusal to give up. Rose showed us that no matter how many obstacles life puts in front of you, you should never stop believing in yourself.
This is the mentality that most certainly makes his next venture very fitting, as Rose now plans to become a motivational speaker. His new goal is to inspire children in tough upbringings to make it out of those situations and reach their potential.