Derrick Rose called it a career, and in this video we’ll chronicle the most memorable moments of probably the biggest “what if” player in NBA history.
Right from the start, it was clear that the Bulls had something special in their hands. Rose's rookie season was a preview of what was to come, as he averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game, earning him the Rookie of the Year award.
His explosiveness, combined with an incredible body control, made him an instant sensation. Chicago was buzzing with the hope that Rose could lead them back to championship glory.
Going into the playoffs for a matchup against the reigning champs the Celtics, Rose and the 7th seeded Bulls were the absolute underdogs, but Derrick did the unthinkable in his playoff debut.
36 points and 11 assists, a dazzling performance, tying Kareem Abdul Jabar’s record for most points by a rookie in a playoff debut.
The entire basketball world quickly realized that this was not going to be your typical 2-7 matchup, and that we were going to witness a war.
And with their backs against the wall in game 6 Chicago needed a stop to survive and force game 7. And their rookie delivered.
In one of the most iconic playoff series, the 7th seeded Bulls pushed Boston to the brink of elimination, but ultimately failed short in the deciding game 7. Still, Rose showed everyone just how high his ceiling could be.
And he only kept going up in his sophomore season, averaging almost 21 points and 6 assists, which made him an all star. The first Bulls player after MJ, more than a decade later.
However despite a great individual season for D. Rose, the Bulls were once again sent home in the first round. This brought Tom Thibodeau as the new head coach, and the whole energy shifted.
Then on media day in 2010, Derrick asked a simple question.
Little did we know that he would show us why he’d become the MVP that season.
Rose was unstoppable, and made Chicago the number 1 team in the NBA winning a staggering 62 games that season.
With this record along with his individual stats of 25 points 4 rebounds and 7 and a half assists per game, he became the youngest MVP in NBA history, at 22 years.
And in the postseason Derrick increased the intensity as he put the Bulls on his back and cruised past Indiana in the first round and Atlanta in the second, all the way to the conference finals. There was no stopping him.
In the conference finals however, the big three in Miami would ultimately prove to be too much to handle, and D.Rose fell short of reaching the biggest stage.
Which leads us to the doomed season of 2011-2012. A lockout shortened year that was even shorter for Derrick as he played only 39 games battling with nagging back issues and a groin injury.
But when he did play it was on…
All of that culminated in the first round of the playoffs. A game already decided with a minute to go and Rose is still on the court. So then, it happened…
A torn ACL that would leave him sidelined for the entire 12-13 season, and as it turned out completely altered his career.
He worked relentlessly to rehab and come back, with the entire fanbase anxiously waiting for that moment.
Thing is, the bad luck continued to hound D.Rose, and just 10 games after finally returning on the court, he tore his meniscus and missed another season of basketball.
Derrick would never again play more than 66 games in a season. That’s how much trouble he had with the chronic injuries.
And he wouldn’t reach the 20 point per game mark either. But the clutch gene cannot be hurt by injuries, so Rose gave us this iconic shot against the Cavs in the playoffs.
But with yet another playoff exit, the franchise decided to go in a different direction, trading away the hometown hero. In a wild turn of events, D.Rose was filming a documentary, when he got the call, so his reaction and emotions were caught on video.
In the following years, we could only see flashes of the superstar he once was, but every once in a while, we got some magic from him.
And of course the stunning 50 point night in Minnesota, followed by an emotional outburst.
I feel fortunate that I witnessed him playing for my New York Knicks, in a more mature role, not relying so much on his athleticism, but rather thinking the game and being a real quarterback out there on the court.
Now with the retirement being official, I feel like there’s a bittersweet moment for us.
We get to look back and reminisce on his highest highs, while at the same time wondering how much better he could have been had he stayed healthy.
All we could do as fans is debate about that. And speaking of the fans, one thing that there’s definitely no debate about, is how much more intense are the Euroleague fans. I documented the wildest situations that happened in Europe and compared it to the theatrical atmosphere in the NBA. You gotta check out this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.