Derrick Rose Rumors: NBA Star Sends 16 Roses as Thanks to Phil Jackson, Friends, More

Basketball icon Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA after a 16-year career on Thursday, but the former star made sure the day wasn’t all about him.

Per ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Rose sent out bouquets of 16 flowers to those who were most formative to him throughout his career. According to Andrews, the list included Phil Jackson, his friends and his former trainers.

“He told me that today he knows he’s going to be getting his flowers, so he wanted to make sure that, pun intended, he was giving out the roses to those who really helped mold him and shape his career,” Andrews said (1:20 mark). “He’s actually mailing out 16 roses to folks like Phil Jackson, his four best friends, his trainers that helped him through the ups and downs.”

Along with sending out flowers, Rose also paid tribute to the cities that he played in, taking out full-page ads in local newspapers in Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit and Memphis to announce his retirement.

Per Andrews, Rose said he decided to step away from basketball to be with his family after years of constantly being on the road.

“Knowing that I gave my all to the game, I feel confident in my decision,” Rose said. “Basketball was just the beginning for me. Now, it’s important that I give my all to my family — they deserve that.”

Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, won Rookie of the Year before becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history at just 22 years old in 2011. After the outstanding start to his career, injuries took a toll on the rising star as he tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, keeping him off the court for the entirety of the 2013-14 season.

His time in Chicago came to an end in 2016 when he was traded to the New York Knicks. While he never truly returned to MVP form, Rose served as a valuable role player for most of his career, ultimately spending his final season with the Memphis Grizzlies.