NBA legend Derrick Rose has retired.

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA, concluding his 16-year career. The Memphis Grizzlies had granted the 35-year-old Rose's request to become a free agent for the final year of his contract earlier this week.

"BASKETBALL WAS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR ME"

In a statement to ESPN, Rose said, "I have complete confidence in my decision because I know I gave everything to basketball. Basketball was just the beginning for me. The only important thing now is to be with my family with all my being. They deserve it."

HE WAS NAMED THE YOUNGEST MVP IN HISTORY

Rose, a three-time All-Star with the Chicago Bulls and the youngest MVP in history during the 2010-11 season, averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists per game over his NBA career with six teams (Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis). Rose entered the league as the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, joining his hometown team, the Bulls.

Dominating the league with his athleticism and acrobatic playing style, Rose quickly became one of the most exciting young stars in the NBA, winning the Rookie of the Year award in the 2008-09 season and being selected as an All-Star in the following three seasons. In the 2010-11 season, when he was named MVP, Rose averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game, leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record in the regular season and to the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs.

HIS MAJOR INJURY WAS IN 2012

The trajectory of Rose's career changed completely when he tore his ACL in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, and after missing the entire following season, he was limited to just 10 games in the 2013-14 season. Rose's eight-year adventure with the Bulls ended when Chicago traded him to the New York Knicks in the summer of 2016, and he frequently changed teams in the second half of his career due to injuries. Having played a total of 723 regular season games in his career, Rose had only appeared in 77 games over the last three seasons.