Derrick Rose

According to Sheri Lipman of the University of Memphis legal counsel, a month after the loss to Kansas, the NCAA sent a letter to the school stating that Rose had "an invalidated standardized test score the previous year at Chicago's Simeon High School." The next January, the NCAA sent another letter, charging Memphis with knowing that Rose had someone else take his SAT for him.[47] Memphis started its own investigation and sent its response back on April 24.[48]

On May 28, 2009, the Memphis Commercial Appeal obtained the letter through the Freedom of Information Act and released it. Although the player's name was redacted due to privacy laws, process of elimination, and sources revealed the player as Derrick Rose. The next day, in a separate investigation, James Sullivan, Inspector General of the Chicago Public Schools district's Board of Education, released a report of his investigation stating that four student-athletes of a CPS school had one-month grade boosts to alter their college transcripts.[49] The Chicago Sun-Times revealed the school as Simeon Career Academy and that three of the four were Rose and his former teammates Kevin Johnson and Tim Flowers, prominent members of the back-to-back championship teams.[49] The newspaper claimed that Rose's grade was changed from a D to a C.[49] Another part of the report stated that "high school staff lost the original permanent records for three of the above mentioned students athletes" (including the unknown four).[50] Sullivan started the investigation because "none of the grade changes were supported by any documentation." He also failed to find a suspect as "at least seven people at Simeon had the ability to access student grades and records."[49] Illinois High School Association (IHSA) executive director Marty Hickman reacted by saying, "It is obvious that this is worth taking a look into."[50] Robert Smith, who coached the Wolverines from 2004 to 2007, denied any wrongdoing.[49] District spokeswoman Monique Bond said the students involved probably did not know about the grade change.

Allegations surfaced that Rose's brother, Reggie, had been allowed to travel with the team for free on several occasions.[51]

Memphis contended that it had learned of the allegations about Rose's SAT score shortly after he enrolled at the school. It conducted its own investigation, in which Rose was questioned by four school officials. Ultimately, Memphis was unable to find any evidence that Rose had cheated based on what was available at the time and cleared him to play.[52]

Rose released a statement through his lawyer Daniel E. Reidy: "Mr. Rose is aware of the allegations reported in the press. Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the University of Memphis' athletic and legal departments’ investigation of this issue when he was a student, and that investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on his part."

On August 20, 2009, the NCAA vacated Memphis' 2007–08 season. It took the position that because the Educational Testing Service voided Rose's SAT score after Rose's freshman year at Memphis, strict liability required that Rose be retroactively declared ineligible.[53] It also determined that even without the questions about his test score, Rose would have lost his eligibility in December 2007 due to Reggie Rose being allowed to travel for free.[54]

On May 28, 2010, Rose, former Memphis basketball coach John Calipari, and Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson reached a $100,000 out-of-court settlement with three attorneys who represented Memphis season ticket holders and threatened a lawsuit over the vacated 2007–08 season. The Memphis Commercial Appeal first reported on this settlement in October 2011.[55]

Derrick Rose during his rookie season

Rose was selected with the first overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Chicago Bulls.[1][56] He was selected to the U.S. Select Team to scrimmage against and prepare the National Team for the Olympics in Beijing.[57][58][59] In mid-July, he played two games in the Orlando Pro Summer League until forced out by tendinitis in his right knee, ending his summer,[60] but returned in October to play all eight preseason games.[61]

Rose became the first Bulls draftee to score 10 points or more in his first 10 games since Michael Jordan,[62] and earned Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for November and December.[63][64] During the All-Star Weekend, Rose played in the Rookie Challenge,[65] and won the Skills Challenge, where he beat out several All-Stars to become the first rookie to claim the trophy.[66] Overcoming a January and February slump, Rose returned to form and won monthly rookie honors in March. Meanwhile, the Bulls, re-energized by the trade deadline acquisitions of John Salmons and Brad Miller, finished the regular season on a 12–4 spurt to qualify as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Rose won Rookie of the Year, joining Michael Jordan (1985) and Elton Brand (2000) as the only Bulls to do so.[67] He was also the first number-one draft pick since LeBron James to win the award. He averaged 16.8 points on 47.5% field goal shooting, 6.3 assists (leading all rookies) and 3.9 rebounds per game and was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.[68]

In his playoff debut against the defending champion Boston Celtics, Rose recorded 36 points (tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for points scored by a rookie in his playoff debut, set in 1970), 11 assists, and 4 rebounds as the Bulls prevailed in a 105–103 overtime win on the road.[69][70][71] Rose became the second player in NBA history to record 35 points and 10 assists in his playoff debut, after Chris Paul. Rose averaged 19.7 points on 47.5% shooting, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in his first playoff series, as the Bulls were defeated by the Celtics in seven games.[72]

Rose's sophomore season started off with an ankle injury in his first preseason game. Rose would go on to miss the rest of the preseason. Rose started the Bulls' season opener against the San Antonio Spurs but played limited minutes. Rose's ankle bothered him for most of November, but as his ankle healed, his game improved. On January 28, 2010, Rose was elected to his first career All-Star Game as a reserve for the Eastern Conference, making him the first Bulls player to be selected since Michael Jordan in 1998.[73] Rose ended up with eight points, four assists and three steals in the game. On April 13, 2010, Rose scored 39 points against the Celtics, making 15–22 field goals and 9–10 free throws. The Bulls once again made the playoffs in the 2009–10 season, finishing with a 41–41 record. In the playoffs Rose averaged 26.8 points and 7.2 assists, but the Bulls lost in five games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[74]

Rose led the Bulls to 62 wins, and the best record overall, during the 2010–11 NBA season.

On October 30, 2010, in the Bulls' second game of the season, Rose scored 39 points in a 101–91 win against the Detroit Pistons. Two days after, Rose contributed 13 assists, helping Luol Deng score a career high 40 points in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 10, Rose scored 29 points and had 9 assists, leading the Bulls to their first victory over the Los Angeles Lakers since December 19, 2006.

On January 17, 2011, Rose recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a 96–84 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.[75] On January 27, he was announced as a starting guard on the 2011 NBA All-Star Team for the East squad.[76]

On February 17, in the Bulls' last game before the All-Star break, Rose set a career-high with 42 points, while also recording 8 assists and 5 rebounds, as the Bulls beat the San Antonio Spurs 109–99. On March 26, Rose had a career high 17 assists, along with 30 points, in a 95–87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

At the end of the 2010–11 NBA season the Bulls finished with a league leading record of 62–20.[77] Their 60+ wins was the Bulls' first such season since 1997–98 and sixth 60+ win in franchise history.[78] At season's end, Rose became only the third player since the 1972–73 NBA season to record 2,000 points and 600 assists in a single season. The other two players were LeBron James and Michael Jordan.[79]

On May 3, Rose was named the NBA Most Valuable Player, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to receive the award in Chicago Bulls history.[80] At 22 years and 6 months old, Rose also became the youngest player to receive the award (Wes Unseld, formerly the youngest MVP, won the award in 1968–69 at age 23 years, 2 months).

In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls faced the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Bulls lost the series in five games. During the 2011 playoffs, Rose averaged 27.1 points per game, but only shot 39% from the field and 24% for three-pointers.[81]

In December 2011, Rose signed a five-year contract extension with the Bulls for $94.8 million. The contract was 30 percent of the Bulls' salary cap, the maximum allowed under a rule dubbed the "Derrick Rose Rule" from the 2011 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.[82]

Rose was voted as an All-Star Game starter for the second consecutive year. He was the second leading vote getter behind Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. He averaged 21.8 ppg, along with a career high 7.9 apg in 35.3 mpg, but played a career low 39 games due to injuries. He helped Luol Deng become an All-Star for the first time in his career.

During Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose injured his left knee while trying to jump. He was immediately helped off the court. The injury occurred when the Bulls were leading by 12 points with 1:22 left to play. Rose came up just short of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds in 37 minutes of action.[83] An MRI later revealed that Rose tore the ACL in his left knee and would miss the rest of the playoffs.[84] Rose had surgery performed on May 12, 2012, with an estimated recovery period of 8–12 months.[3]

Rose returned to full contact practice in January 2013,[85] and was cleared by doctor to play that March,[86] but he did not appear in a game during the 2012–13 NBA season. Despite Rose's absence, the Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they lost to the eventual champions, the Miami Heat.

Rose's much awaited return came on October 5, 2013, in a pre-season game against the Indiana Pacers. He had a slow start but scored his first point in the first quarter. He finished the game with 13 points in 20 minutes of play.[87] On October 16, 2013, Rose returned to play in Chicago for the first time, scoring 22 points against the Detroit Pistons. "I think I'm way more explosive now. Like getting to the rim. I think I can take contact a little bit better. And as far as jumping-wise, I think I can jump even higher. They tested my vertical -- I increased it by 5 inches", Rose said after the win.[88] During the pre-season, Rose averaged 20.7 points and 5 assists.

His first official game was in 107–95 loss against the defending champions Miami Heat on October 29. Rose was limited to 12 points, while having 4 assists in 34 minutes of play. He played his usual minutes, but was inefficient from the field, shooting 4–15.[89] Two days later, he played his first official home game against the New York Knicks where he hit the game-winning floater in an 82–81 win. He had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.[90] On November 3, 2013, Rose scored 13 points and committed 8 turnovers in the loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.[91] He struggled in his return, shooting 28.8% from the field and averaging 5.7 turnovers in his first three games.[92]

On November 22, Rose injured his right knee during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. An MRI the next day confirmed that Rose tore his right knee meniscus and that surgery was required.[93] At the time, Rose was averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists in 31.1 minutes per game. On November 25, Rose underwent surgery on the torn meniscus in his right knee.[4] The same day, the Bulls announced Rose was out for the season, after a successful surgery.[94]

Rose during a timeout in 2015

Rose returned from injury to play in the Bulls' season opener against the New York Knicks on October 29, 2014 and recorded 13 points and 5 assists in 21 minutes of action. He went on to score a season-high 32 points on January 14 against the Washington Wizards,[95] before being ruled out again with another knee injury a month later. He appeared in 51 games, the most he'd played since the 2010–11 season.[96]

On February 24, it was announced Rose required another round of surgery on his right knee and was ruled out indefinitely. An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear of the right knee, the same injury he sustained on November 22, 2013 against the Portland Trail Blazers.[97][98] On February 27, he was deemed a possibility of returning toward the end of the season after he underwent successful surgery and was ruled out for just four to six weeks.[99]

Rose returned to action on April 8 after a 20-game absence, and working on a minutes restriction, he was 3-of-9 from the field and finished with nine points in 19 minutes as the Bulls lost to the Orlando Magic.[100]

On April 18, Rose played in his first playoff game since Game 1 of the 2012 playoffs (the game where he tore his left ACL). Rose finished with 23 points and 7 assists on 9-of-16 shooting.[101] During the Bulls' first round series against the Bucks, Rose averaged 21.5 points per game. On May 8, Rose banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer and scored 30 points to give the Bulls a 99-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.[102] However, the Cavaliers won the final three games to take the series in six games.

A preseason left orbital bone fracture saw Rose begin the regular season wearing a face mask.[103] On November 5, 2015, Rose scored a then season-high 29 points on 12-of-25 shooting in a 104–98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He showed signs of his old MVP self as he scored 10 points over the final three and a half minutes to lift the Bulls after they blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.[104] On December 18, he scored a season-high 34 points in a 147–144 quadruple overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.[105] On February 5, 2016, he had a season-best game with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in a 115–110 loss to the Denver Nuggets.[106]

Rose defending Kyrie Irving in 2016

On June 22, 2016, Rose was traded, along with Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round draft pick, to the New York Knicks in exchange for future teammate José Calderón, Jerian Grant and Robin Lopez.[107] He made his debut for the Knicks in the team's season opener on October 25 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 29 minutes of action, he scored 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting in a 117–88 loss.[108] On November 4, Rose returned to Chicago for the first time as a member of the Knicks, recording 15 points and 11 assists in a 117–104 win over the Bulls.[109] On November 17, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 119–112 loss to the Washington Wizards.[110] He topped that mark on November 28, scoring 30 points in a 112–103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[111] On January 10, 2017, Rose was fined an undisclosed amount after he reportedly flew to Chicago to be with his mother but did not notify team officials ahead of their game against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 9.[112] Eight days later, he matched his season high with 30 points in a 117–106 win over the Boston Celtics.[113] On April 2, 2017, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing the meniscus in his left knee, necessitating a fourth round of knee surgery for Rose in his nine-year career.[114]

Rose with the Cavaliers in 2017

On July 25, 2017, Rose signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[115] In his debut for the Cavaliers in their season opener against the Boston Celtics on October 17, 2017, Rose scored 14 points in a 102–99 win.[116] On November 24, 2017, Rose left the team to re-evaluate his future in the NBA. His increasing frustration with injuries caused him to question his desire to continue playing.[117] He returned to working with the Cavaliers' medical staff in early December in hopes of recovering from a sprained left ankle and bone spurs.[118] On January 18, 2018, Rose returned to the line-up after missing more than two months with ankle injuries and scored nine points in 13 minutes in a 104–103 win over the Orlando Magic.[119]

On February 8, 2018, Rose was acquired by the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade that also involved the Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings.[120] Two days later, he was waived by the Jazz.[121]

On March 8, 2018, Rose signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves,[122] reuniting him with Tom Thibodeau, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. In the playoffs, Rose averaged 14.2 points in 23.8 minutes per game, as the Timberwolves lost 4–1 to the Houston Rockets in the first round.[123]

On July 4, 2018, Rose re-signed with the Timberwolves for the 2018–19 season.[124] On October 31, in his first start of the season, Rose scored a career-high 50 points in a 128–125 win over the Utah Jazz, securing the victory with a block on Utah's final shot as time expired.[125] On December 26, he had 24 points and eight assists and received MVP chants in a 119–94 win over the Bulls in Chicago. It was just his second career game in the United Center against his former team.[126] On January 15 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose reached 10,000 career points.[127] On January 20, he scored 29 of his 31 points in the second half and hit an 18-footer with 0.6 seconds left to give the Timberwolves a 116–114 victory over the Phoenix Suns.[128] Right ankle trouble saw Rose miss 11 of 19 games spanning late December to late January.[129] He missed an additional three games in early February.[130] On March 21, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a right elbow injury.[131]

On July 7, 2019, Rose signed with the Detroit Pistons.[132] He became the first player in Pistons history to record seven consecutive 20+ point games as a reserve, which also coincides in his career-high 14-game streak of scoring 20 points or more.[133] The streak ended after suffering a groin injury during a game with the Denver Nuggets.[134] In his third game after returning from injury, Rose scored a season high 31 points en route to a win against the Phoenix Suns.[135][136]

• NBA Most Valuable Player: 2011[80]
• NBA All-Star Selection: 2010,[141] 2011,[76] 2012[142]
• All-NBA First Team: 2011[143]
• NBA Rookie of the Year: 2009[67]
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2009[68]
• Skills Challenge Champion: 2009
• Conference Rookie of the Month: November, December, March[144]
• Conference Player of the Month: April 2010, March 2011[145]

• Freshman year (2007–08)
  • NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team[45]
  • NCAA Tournament South Region MVP[146]
  • NABC 3rd Team All-American[39]
  • NABC All-District 7 First Team
  • All-Conference USA First Team[147]
  • Conference USA Freshman of the Year[147]
  • Conference USA All Freshman Team 1st Team[147]
  • Sporting News All-Freshman Team[148]
  • Conference USA Player of the Week for games between December 17 through the 23rd[149]
  • 2K Sports College Hoops Classic MVP[150]
  • 2K Sports College Hoops Classic All-Tournament Team

• Senior year (2006–07)
  • Class AA State Championship
  • Class AA Tournament MVP
  • Illinois Mr. Basketball 2007[27]
  • 2007 McDonald's All-American[28]
  • USA Today 2007 All-USA First Team[151]
  • 2007 First-team Parade All-American[29]
  • EA Sports 2007 All-American First Team[152]
  • All State Illinois 2007[153]
  • MaxPreps.com All-America First Team
  • Slam Magazine 2007 First Team
  • MidStateHoops.com 2007 Class AA Player of the Year[154]
• Junior year (2005–06)
  • Class AA State Championship
  • Class AA Tournament MVP
  • 2006 Parade All-American Fourth Team[15]
  • All State Illinois 2006
  • EA Sports 2006 All-American Second Team[14]
• Sophomore year (2004–05)
  • 2005 Parade All-American Third Team[12]
  • Chicago Sun-Times All-Area[155]