Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose retires from basketball after 16 seasons

• Named youngest MVP in league history in 2011
• Electrifying point guard played for six franchises

Derrick Rose, the No 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and the league's MVP in 2011, announced his retirement on Thursday. He was, and still is, the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award when he was just 22 as the highlight of what would become a 16-year career.

You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain," Rose posted on Instagram on Thursday in a letter to the game.