Derrick Rose's NBA legacy -- and his distinctive case for the Corridor of Fame

After 16 years within the NBA, former MVP level guard Derrick Rose is retiring from the league.

The No. 1 decide within the 2008 NBA draft and Chicago native made his mark for seven years together with his hometown staff earlier than spending the subsequent 9 leaping between the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.

Rose’s meteoric rise as one of many league’s most enjoyable gamers was thwarted by accidents: most notably, his ACL tear through the first spherical of the 2012 playoffs which was adopted by a plethora of decrease leg points.

NBA insiders Chris Herring, Jamal Collier and Kevin Pelton break down the three-time All-Star’s profession, together with the legacy he leaves in Chicago and his distinctive case for the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame.

Rose’s transient — however elite — prime was electrical

In 2010, nearly 14 years in the past to the day, a 21-year-old Rose stood earlier than a gaggle of Chicago reporters laying out his expectation for his third NBA season.

“It is excessive,” he stated with a straight face. “The way in which I take a look at it inside myself, why cannot I be the MVP of the league? Why cannot I be the most effective participant within the league? Why cannot I do this? I work arduous.”

It was an audacious remark. Sure, Rose received Rookie of the 12 months in 2009 and was one of many sport’s breakout younger stars. However he’d been an All-Star simply as soon as, chosen for the sport simply seven months earlier. On a staff scale, Chicago was a .500 membership the season earlier than — one thing else that usually makes an MVP bid a steeper climb.

However by the top of the 2010-11 marketing campaign, Rose appeared like a prophet. The Bulls, who completed with an NBA finest 62-20 mark, have been buoyed partly by new coach Tom Thibodeau. However nobody was extra answerable for their enchancment than the electrifying Rose, who, in main his hometown Bulls at age 22, grew to become the youngest MVP in league historical past.

Between Chicago being among the many league’s elite and Rose reaching meteoric heights at such an early stage — the Bulls additionally reached the convention finals that season — it grew to become pure to marvel what his development would possibly appear to be — each for him and his staff.

At that time, it appeared attainable, if not going, that he’d be talked about alongside fellow Chicago star Michael Jordan or LeBron James — Rose’s Japanese Convention adversary for just a few years — within the basketball historical past books.

However that was earlier than the repeated knee accidents — a torn ACL in his left knee in 2012, a pair of tears in the precise knee’s meniscus in 2013 and 2015 and a tear to his left meniscus in 2017 — sapped Rose of his trademark explosiveness and altered the trajectory of his profession.

Like Grant Hill, who battled severe accidents in his prime for years earlier than getting wholesome and having a strong end to his Corridor of Fame profession, Rose did have flashes towards the top of his NBA run. He had a extremely emotional 50-point game with Minnesota in 2018 and was a key contributor to the Knicks’ shocking playoff run in 2021, ending third in Sixth Man of the 12 months voting.

It wasn’t the years of greatness that somebody like James shall be remembered for. However for just a few years and a handful of moments towards the top of his profession, Rose’s uncanny athleticism and playmaking made followers’ jaws drop. It was a extremely uncommon basketball journey, with large highs and devastating lows. Nevertheless it’s one that everybody who noticed it should bear in mind.

— Chris Herring

The legacy Rose leaves in Chicago

The Bulls touchdown the No. 1 total decide within the 2008 draft regardless of having only a 1.7% likelihood was a uncommon stroke of excellent luck for a franchise devoid of success since Jordan’s Final Dance.

The truth that one of many high prospects accessible was from Chicago made the choice clear. And his arrival would dramatically alter the route of the franchise.

Rose’s legacy in Chicago will reside on not only for his accomplishments on the Bulls. He grew up in poverty within the metropolis’s Englewood neighborhood and received back-to-back state championships in highschool. 5 years later, he carried the Bulls to their solely convention finals up to now 25 years.

From Rookie of the 12 months to All-Star to youngest MVP in league historical past, the primary three years of Rose’s profession have been an unmatched drive, lifting Chicago to its finest seasons because the Jordan period. His 36-point playoff debut in 2009 was electrical, and the Bulls took the defending champion Boston Celtics to seven video games in an exciting first-round sequence.

His poster dunk of Goran Dragic in 2010 was invigorating, a show of the form of fearlessness that made Chicago fall in love with him. By 2011, the Bulls have been contenders as soon as once more. Rose turned to his mom when signing a max contract extension that yr and stated, “Mother, we lastly made it.”

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The accidents that adopted derailed the ending of his story in Chicago and stays one of the painful reminiscences in metropolis or staff historical past. Rose sat out the complete 2012-13 season with a torn ACL and performed simply 10 video games the next season as followers anticipated and questioned his return to the courtroom each step of the way in which. When he was in a position to play, it was clear the accidents had altered his profession. He was by no means in a position to keep the nonetheless excessive expectations set in Chicago.

A few of Rose’s key teammates from that period, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, to this present day will emphasize their perception that Chicago would have ultimately received a championship had accidents not betrayed Rose. It makes these Bulls groups one of many nice “what-ifs” in NBA historical past.

As Rose’s profession was winding down, and he bounced across the league from team-to-team, followers in Chicago nonetheless cheered him each time he arrived on the United Middle as a customer. It was as in the event that they have been nonetheless clamoring for one final likelihood at a reunion and a contented hometown ending.

– Jamal Collier

Rose’s distinctive case for the Corridor of Fame

Rose could be essentially the most fascinating case the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame has ever seen. For many years, it has been a truism that each NBA MVP would make the Corridor of Fame. But Rose’s injury-shortened peak makes his candidacy extra difficult.

Among the many 36 gamers to win MVP, Rose’s three All-Star appearances rank forward of solely the late Invoice Walton (two), the opposite winner to see his prime years ruined by harm. Whereas Walton performed only a handful video games between the navicular fracture that interrupted his MVP marketing campaign and age 30, Rose was in a position to return for a comparatively full profession however was by no means an All-Star once more.

In contrast to Walton, who led the Portland Trail Blazers to the one title in franchise historical past the yr earlier than his harm, Rose did not get to get pleasure from playoff success on the most important stage. He averaged 23.4 factors and 6.6 assists per recreation within the 2011 East finals at age 22, however shot simply 35% because the Miami Heat beat the Bulls. A yr later, Rose was injured within the first playoff recreation for Chicago, which had received a league-high 50 video games through the lockout-shortened season however was upset by the No. 8 seed Philadelphia 76ers with out him.

In that regard, my championships added model sees Spencer Haywood as the most effective comparability for Rose’s profession. MVP of the ABA as a 20-year-old rookie, Haywood made All-NBA 4 occasions after efficiently difficult the league’s age restrict and leaping to the Seattle SuperSonics. Nevertheless, Haywood’s profession was by no means the identical after a knee harm at age 25 and his transfer to the Knicks.

Haywood performed barely longer than Rose, and totaled greater than 15,000 profession factors (surpassing 17,000, together with his ABA season), as in comparison with Rose ending with 12,573. Nonetheless, he needed to wait till 2015 — 32 years after retirement — to be enshrined within the Corridor of Fame, following several close calls.

Because the Corridor of Fame casts a wider internet underneath government director Jerry Colangelo, I believe Rose will ultimately make it as properly. Nonetheless, Rose’s premature harm makes his Corridor future much less sure than any MVP winner in league historical past.

– Kevin Pelton