Derrick Rose of the Grizzlies says he thought about retiring from the NBA after the Knicks left.
In the previous offseason, Derrick Rose entertained the idea of quitting the NBA.
The guard talked about leaving New York City after spending parts of three seasons playing in Madison Square Garden, as his Memphis Grizzlies go to take on his old team, the New York Knicks, on Tuesday.
In response to the Knicks’ decision to reject his contract option, Rose reportedly said, “At that time, I was still trying to figure out if I still wanted to play,” as reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I was just trying to figure out my route, if I wanted to stay or leave.”
In the end, he decided to continue in the NBA and signed a two-year contract with the Grizzlies.
After declining the option, Rose said the Knicks informed him that “they were moving on” and that they were not planning to re-sign him. This wasn’t shocking, given that he played in just 27 games and wasn’t even in the rotation the previous season.
Rose didn’t get much playing time because of Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, and
, but he claimed he had no animosity toward Tom Thibodeau, the head coach of New York.
Since Jalen’s wedding on July 29, I haven’t spoken with Thibs. However, it’s good, “said Rose. “For my wedding, he sent me a bottle of champagne. Much like an antique bottle. Thus, it’s love. There won’t be any tension in that connection. I can’t hold anything against Thibs, even when they stated they were headed in a different way.”
They have remained close even after Thibodeau left New York to coach Rose for the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rose won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008–09 and the league MVP award in 2010–11 while he was in the Windy City, despite the fact that injuries limited his explosiveness. Since then, he has played for the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Grizzlies, among other teams.
The 35-year-old is still a member of the Grizzlies squad after suffering several serious injuries. He is no longer the dominant player he was when he was the cornerstone of the team in Chicago. In a game, he averages 8.6 points and 3.4 assists.
Rose said that he thought about retiring during the previous summer, but he insisted that he has accepted his role as a journeyman and will still support the Grizzlies in their quest for redemption this year.