Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA after 16 years, ending a star-studded career that saw him win the league’s Rookie of the Year and MVP awards but was also marred by injuries.

“The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth,” Rose, 35, said in a statement. “I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball.

“Whether it’s good or bad, everyone has a ‘what if’ story in their life. Even if I could, I wouldn’t change anything about mine because it helped me find true joy.”

Rose was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by his hometown Chicago Bulls. He also played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, who released him less than a week ago.

Rose announced his retirement on social media. He also bought newspaper ads in each of the six cities he played to thank fans.

Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning in 2011 at age 22 with averages of 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds, beating out Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the award.

After signing a five-year, $95 million contract extension with the Bulls in December 2011, Rose was limited to 39 games that season. He helped the Bulls reach the playoffs, but tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the first game of the postseason against the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury caused him to miss the entire following season and changed the course of his career forever.

Rose returned for the start of the 2013–14 season, but re-injured his knee a month into the program. The Bulls eventually traded Rose to the Knicks in 2016. After one season in New York, he went to the Cavaliers, followed by the Timberwolves, and then the Pistons. The Pistons traded Rose back to the Knicks in February 2021, and he played well during the playoffs before being injured late in New York’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Rose had asked the Grizzlies to let him go before this season so he could retire. In his 15-season career, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds. In his last 12 seasons, he played in more than 60 games only twice.