Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose (born October 4, 1988, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) is a former professional basketball player who in 2011 became, at age 22, the youngest player to be named the Most Valuable Player in the history of the NBA. A 6-foot 3-inch (1.9-meter) point guard, Rose was known in his early career for his explosive speed and towering leaping ability, which allowed him to relentlessly attack the basket and finish over taller players. His reign at the top of the sport was cut short in 2012, when he suffered a torn ACL, the first in a series of injuries that limited his playing time and robbed him of his dynamic athleticism. He subsequently put together a relatively successful, if quieter, career as a role player and veteran mentor to younger players. Rose retired shortly before the start of the 2024–25 season.

Childhood and college career

Rose grew up in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. He attended Simeon Career Academy for high school and led the basketball team to two straight Illinois state championships (2006 and 2007). Rose was one of the top recruits in the country and chose to play for the University of Memphis. There he led the team to a 38–2 record, the most wins in a single men’s NCAA basketball season, as well as an appearance in the 2008 NCAA tournament championship game. However, the school’s record-breaking season was later vacated after an investigation found that Rose had been academically ineligible to play because he had allegedly submitted a fraudulent SAT (college entrance examination) score.

Rapid ascent in the NBA

After his single season in college, Rose entered the NBA draft in 2008 and was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls, his hometown team. What followed was one of the greatest starts to a career in NBA history. Rose was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season (2008–09) and was an All-Star in the following three seasons. He reached his peak during his MVP-winning third season (2010–11). That year he led the Bulls to a 62–20 record, the best in the league, and in the playoffs powered the team to an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals, the first time the Bulls had made it that far in the post-Michael Jordan era. Their run ended with a loss to a star-studded Miami Heat team that featured LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, another Chicagoan.

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The one-and-done era of NBA basketball: Derrick Rose

The Rose-led Bulls saw similar levels of success in the lockout-shortened 2011–12 regular season. The team tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league at 50–16. But on April 28, 2012, in the opening round of the playoffs, Rose crumpled to the ground in the final minutes of game one after driving toward the basket. An MRI revealed a torn ACL in his left knee, causing him to miss the rest of the playoffs and the entirety of the 2012–13 season.

Post-injury career as a journeyman

Rose’s return in 2013 was short-lived, as he played only 10 games before a torn meniscus in his right knee derailed him for the rest of the season. Rose spent two more seasons with the Bulls, including missing several months in 2015 to again repair the meniscus in his right knee, before being traded to the New York Knicks in June 2016. Bad luck continued to haunt the former number-one pick, as he suffered another season-ending meniscus tear, this time in his left knee, and underwent the fourth knee surgery in his nine years as a pro. Rose played the next two seasons (2017–18 and 2018–19) on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, logging productive minutes as a backup despite battling ankle and elbow injuries. He then signed with the Detroit Pistons in July 2019 and submitted one of his best shooting seasons, complete with a .490 field-goal percentage and 14 straight games of 20 or more points, both career highs.

Rose was traded back to the Knicks in February 2021, reuniting him with his former Bulls head coach, Tom Thibodeau, and he had success in a bench role, averaging just under 15 points per game and placing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. But Rose’s misfortune continued: he suffered a right ankle injury during the following season (2022–23) and, after nearly recovering enough to play, was unable to return because he developed a skin infection on the injured ankle. The Knicks released Rose at the end of the season, and he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2023. Rose was again limited by various injuries and played in only 24 games in 2023–24, but the team credited him with providing leadership to its younger players. In September 2024 Rose was waived by the Grizzlies, and days later he announced his retirement.

In addition to his achievements in the NBA, Rose won two gold medals with the U.S. men’s national basketball team at the FIBA World Cup (2010 and 2014).

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Personal life

In 2023 Rose married Alaina Anderson, and the couple later had two children. Rose also has a son from a previous relationship.

In 2015 Rose and two friends were accused of sexual assault in a civil suit. In the subsequent trial they were found not liable.