Retired NBA MVP Derrick Rose has made peace with “what ifs.”

It’s easy to wonder what an injury-free career would have looked like for Derrick Rose. He will likely be the only player to win the NBA MVP but not make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Derrick Rose sat courtside at the Bulls’ practice facility – then in a Chicago suburb – discussing his knee injury. It was February 2013, and Rose was in the midst of grueling rehab on his left knee after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the 2012 playoffs.

“I don’t know what type of player I’m going to be,” Rose told USA TODAY Sports at the time. “I just know I’m going to be really good.”

Rose was good again at times, but never great again – and Rose, who announced his retirement from professional basketball on Thursday, was great in his first four seasons.

His rise to NBA stardom was quick, joyful, entertaining and rare: Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, All-Star in 2009-10 and MVP, All-NBA and first-team All-Star in 2010-11. This MVP season, Rose, just 22, averaged 25 points, 7.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 43.5% shooting from the field, leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record. He remains the youngest player to win MVP.

Nearly 18 months after that ACL tear and ten games into the 2013–14 season, Rose suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, requiring further surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Rose, who turns 36 on Oct. 4, returned in 2014-15 and had solid seasons with Chicago, the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he was never the same player.

It was a 16-year career marked by highlights but also devastating knee injuries that prevented him from reaching his full potential as an NBA star.

What was cut off by what ifs.

Rose bounced from team to team after his time with the Bulls and played for Memphis last season, where he appeared in 24 games.

He was explosive, difficult to defend with his speed and power, finished at the rim and made a mid-range jump shot. Over the course of his career, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 45.6% from the field.

It’s easy to wonder what a career without injuries — or without so many — would have looked like for Rose. It was a Hall of Fame start, but he will likely be the only player to win the NBA MVP but not make the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rose, who was selected No. 1 overall by the hometown Bulls, did his best to eliminate those what-ifs. He maintained a positive attitude and always believed in himself no matter the circumstances. If he had a woe-is-me attitude, he hid it well.

In his retirement announcement, Rose showed that injuries did not ruin his love for a game that gave and cost so much.

In a love letter to basketball, Rose wrote, “Thank you, my first love…You believed in me through the ups and downs, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain. You showed me what love really means. You made the place mine.” Sanctuary, a home where I could express myself freely. Every early morning and every late night we spent together, you made sure that I could always rely on you and that in every moment of doubt you would show me what I was capable of.

“They introduced me to new places and cultures that a kid from Chicago could never have imagined. You taught me that every defeat was a lesson and every victory was a reason for gratitude. They imparted wisdom that was not just about the game, but also about life, discipline, hard work and perseverance. You showed me that passion is something to be treasured and made me put my heart into every dribble, every shot, every play. You stood by me unconditionally, even when the world seemed against me, and waited for me to pick you up. You gave me a gift, our time together, one that I will cherish for the rest of my days. You told me it was okay to say goodbye and assured me that no matter where life takes me, you will always be a part of me.”

Derrick Rose, at peace with what was, what could have been and what is.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

It’s easy to wonder what an injury-free career would have looked like for Derrick Rose. He will likely be the only player to win the NBA MVP but not make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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