Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic reacts to Derrick Rose's retirement from NBA
Luka Doncic paid tribute to Derrick Rose following Rose's announcement on Thursday that he is retiring from the NBA. Picked first overall in 2008, Rose went on to win numerous accolades, including an NBA MVP in 2011.
The Dallas Mavericks superstar took to Instagram to share a throwback snap of the two acknowledging each other after a 2018 matchup when he was in his rookie season and Rose played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Doncic captioned his Instagram story with a rose emoji.
Derrick Rose confirmed his retirement after 16 seasons in the league. The youngest MVP in NBA history announced his retirement via a social media post. He also placed ads in local newspapers of the six cities he played for during his NBA career: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.
"Thank You, My First Love," Rose wrote in a tribute to the game of basketball. "You gave me a gift, our time together, one that I will cherish for the rest of my days. You told me it's okay to say goodbye, reassuring me that you'll always be a part of me, no matter where life takes me.
"Forever yours, Derrick Rose."
Luka Doncic had big praise for the 35-year-old earlier this month when he picked Rose to have the best high school mixtape of all time. However, he did admit that he did not watch many mixtapes while he was growing up.
Rose had a meteoric rise in the NBA early in his career. However, his injuries, most notably the ACL tear he suffered during the 2012 playoffs, added an element of resilience to his legacy.
Derrick Rose responsible for NBA contract rule that may lead to record $360million Luka Doncic deal
Derrick Rose was one of the NBA's most electric players in his prime and won the NBA MVP award in his third season in the league. He also won the Rookie of the Year and three All-Star selections when he was still under his rookie contract with the Chicago Bulls.
Rose's accolades so early in his career prompted the NBA to add a new rule to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, known as the "Derrick Rose Rule." According to the rule, if a player on a rookie contract earns two All-NBA team selections, is selected as an All-Star starter twice or wins the NBA MVP, he becomes eligible for a max contract, worth 35% of the team's salary cap.
Based on that rule, Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a massive supermax contract next offseason, which could be worth upwards of $346 million. Doncic had made the All-NBA team for five straight seasons, starting from his second year in the league.