Derrick Rose, the former Memphis Grizzlies point guard, has announced his retirement after a 16-year NBA career at the age of 35. After battling knee issues for an extended period, Rose made this decision. As his career comes to an end, LeBron James, his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, sent an emotional tribute to Rose on Instagram.
LeBron James wrote on Instagram that he loves and respects Derrick Rose after Rose said he was retiring. He shared the retirement post in his IG story, captioning it, “Much love and respect, Pooh!!! Salute.” LeBron also included three additional IG stories with the words “Forever,” “Immortalized,” and a GOAT emoji.
Even though Rose and James only played 16 games together on the Cavaliers, they became very close and respected each other. LeBron celebrated Rose’s amazing 50-point game against the Jazz, calling it a true reflection of Rose’s fighting spirit after facing so many injuries. Rose also admired LeBron, watching him closely during games and training.
Throughout his career, Rose dealt with a serious injury he got in 2012—a torn ACL. He had more than three operations on his ankle and knees. After ten years of ups and downs with different teams and injuries, he decided to retire.
LeBron James endorsed Derrick Rose for NBA MVP in 2010-11
In a rare display of sportsmanship, LeBron James named Derrick Rose the league’s most valuable player for the 2010-11 season. That season, Rose led the Chicago Bulls to become the top team in the Eastern Conference in spite of several injuries.
So, LeBron praised Rose for his hard work before a game against the Boston Celtics. He said, “I think [it’s] Derrick Rose. What he’s done for that team, with all the injuries they have and them being first in the Eastern Conference — they’re playing some really good basketball.”
