The NBA world was taken by surprise on Thursday morning when former MVP Derrick Rose announce
retirement. Despite being under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies for another year, the 35-year-old decided to end his 16-year career.
LeBron James wasted no time in paying tribute to his former teammate. He shared Rose’s farewell message on Instagram, accompanied by the captions “Salute” and “Forever Immortalized.”
Rose and James briefly teamed up during the 2017 offseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs sought veteran talent, including Rose. However, Rose’s time in Cleveland was marred by frustration and setbacks.
A series of injuries forced Rose to step away from the Cavaliers mid-season to reevaluate his future in basketball. Eventually traded, Rose joined the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he staged a remarkable career revival. He later became a key veteran presence, contributing significantly to the New York Knicks’ postseason runs between 2021 and 2023.
While Rose and James never achieved success together on the same team, their epic battles in the Eastern Conference will be remembered for years to come. Rose’s Chicago Bulls frequently clashed with James’s Cavaliers in the playoffs, though they always fell short. The two also faced off in the 2011 MVP race, with Rose controversially edging out James in LeBron’s first season with the Miami Heat.
Rose remains one of the NBA’s most compelling “what if” stories. A devastating knee injury in the 2012 playoffs cut his prime short, and we never saw the same explosive player again. Though Rose reinvented himself as a valuable role player, basketball fans can’t help but wonder what might have been.
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