The Memphis Grizzlies, just a week or so prior to the start of training camp, made the decision to cut veteran guard Derrick Rose from the roster. Rose was brought in last season by the Grizzlies via free agency to provide some veteran leadership, but he has been deemed expendable just one season into his stint with the team.
Now 35 years old, it’s not quite clear what the next step is for Rose in his career. Other teams may not be too keen on signing the , as he himself endured an injury-ravaged 2023-24 season. His injury-riddled past may not ever make him a viable option for consistent rotation minutes, which means that, aside from a potential role as a veteran leader in the locker room, his days in the NBA might be numbered.
Derrick Rose only fueled the fire of the rumors of a potential retirement with the video he posted on his official Instagram account. In the video, Rose was seen as very introspective at home, even journaling beside a window while music straight from a coming-of-age independent movie played in the background. He also posted the video with the caption: “The Renascence 9.26.24”, so perhaps there is a major announcement coming from the former MVP tomorrow morning.
For those unfamiliar with the word “renascence”, it is another term for “renaissance”, which the Oxford dictionary defines as “the revival of something that has been dormant”. Perhaps that is the most telling sign that Derrick Rose is not going to give up on his playing career just yet.
Or perhaps this is only signaling the release of a new line of Rose Adidas signature shoes, as around the 19-second mark of the video he posted, a shoe of his was seen.
Whatever the case may be, fans are waiting for Rose’s announcement with bated breath, especially with the 35-year-old guard’s career hanging in the balance.
This could be the end of Derrick Rose’s career
Every basketball fan knows the tragic career of Derrick Rose. Rose was a fast-rising star who became the youngest MVP in the league’s history, but in 2012, he tore his ACL in the first round of the playoffs and was simply never the same player. His athleticism declined, and he was never the greatest outside shooter to begin with, which made it very difficult for him to re-assume his status as a star in the NBA.
Being in a declined state hasn’t prevented Rose from having his fair share of memorable moments since his fateful ACL tear. He hit a game-winner for the Chicago Bulls in the 2015 NBA playoffs, which gave berth to an iconic meme due to his stoic celebration face. By the 2018-19 season, it looked as though he has adapted to his current playing conditions, even dropping 50 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 31, 2018.
In 2021, while playing for the New York Knicks for the second time in his career, Rose was the team’s best performer in the playoffs amid a five-game series defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
Of course, the bad news is that Rose hasn’t played in more than 51 games since the 2017-18 season. His injury issues remain prevalent as ever; he has played an average of 25.7 games over the past three seasons. If this truly is the end of Rose’s career, then one would have to commend him for staying the course for as long as he did and never giving up in his goal of finding his MVP form, even though in the end, his career will be seen as a heartbreaking tale defined by the what-ifs.
