It was reported Thursday evening (Manila time), that Derrick Rose, one of Chicago’s favorite sons and the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player, is retiring from the NBA after 15 years. 

Though it felt like a likely outcome as he was just waived by the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the week, it’s still a sad day in basketball. Rose is one of the most universally beloved figures in league history, mainly due to his highlight reel abilities and stoic, no-nonsense demeanor. 

The devastating ACL tear he had in the 2012 playoffs cut his prime short, and though he still dazzled plenty of times upon returning, he was never the same, which left fans wondering what might have been.

In any case, D-Rose had his solid share of iconic moments in the NBA. Let’s list down 10 of the most iconic:

10 – Returning to New York as a reliable Sixth Man

After a disappointing one-off tenure with the New York Knicks in 2016-17, Rose signed back in 2020-21 courtesy of his Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau getting hired. He became one of the best bench players that season (3rd in 6MOY voting), en route to helping the Knicks go to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

9 – Buzzer-beater vs. the Milwaukee Bucks

Though having a horrid shooting night (8/22 FGs), he was cool, calm, and collected, and thus looked smooth hitting this stepback buzzer-beater, silencing the Milwaukee crowd.

8 – Getting drafted 1st overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls

It was a picture-perfect setup. The talented kid, filled with potential, getting drafted first overall by his hometown team, both on a path to win.

7- Sizzling in his playoff debut

It’s one of the best NBA playoff debuts you will ever see. He was a rookie, just 20 years of age, going up against the defending champions, and what did he do? Drop 36 points and 11 assists on 12-of-19 shooting.

6 – Winning NBA Rookie of the Year

It was clear that he was on a different level of athleticism and explosiveness right from the get-go, and with all that, he bagged a landslide win for Rookie of the Year.

5 – Scoring a playoff career-high 44 points vs the Atlanta Hawks

Just prime, MVP D-Rose doing his thing. True to his role, he was the offense of the defensive-minded Bulls, as he shot 16-of-27 for 44 points while also dishing out seven assists. None of his co-starters had more than seven points that night.

4 – Buzzer-beater vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers (2015 NBA Playoffs)

This was a huge deal as it was against rival LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Bulls eventually fell to the Cavs, this was a big-time shot that will continue to be played in NBA highlights everywhere. Most importantly, it spawned a meme.

3 – Dunking on Goran Dragic 

I just don’t know what Goran Dragic was thinking. You have to admire the guts, though.

As you can hear in the clip above, Bulls color commentator Stacey King had a heck of a call on this:

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRAGIC? DID YOU NOT GET THE MEMO? DERRICK ROSE CAN GO UPSTAIRS!”

2 – Scoring 50 points in Halloween night 2018

Halloween night 2018 was a special night in the NBA. It was so good, it might have been the basketball gods’ gift to Derrick. After years and years of suffering through injuries, falling down in the pecking order, losing his All-Star status, the Windy City Assassin just comes out of nowhere and blasts a 50-piece on an efficient  61.3% shooting against one of the top-ranked defenses at that time.

Checkout Jeff Teague’s story about that game. D-Rose got the whole team crying.

1 – Being the youngest MVP in NBA history

Of course, we have to put the MVP win at the top spot. While it’s bittersweet considering how things transpired a year after, it’s Derrick Rose at the pinnacle of his career, and where he truly etched himself in NBA lore. He averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game in 2010-11, dominated the highlights, and helped guide the Bulls into a league-best 62 wins, still the franchise’s winningest season post-Michael Jordan.