With three seconds remaining in Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Derrick Rose received an inbounds pass from Mike Dunleavy Jr. and raced around the three-point arc inside Chicago's United Center.
After receiving a screen from Taj Gibson, Rose stopped on a dime and heaved what would be the game-winning shot in the Chicago Bulls' 99-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That moment might as well have been a microcosm of the up-and-down journey that's been the former MVP's NBA career.
Despite his heroics putting Chicago up 2-1, the Cavs would reel off three consecutive victories in Rose's final playoff series with his hometown team. A year later, the Bulls traded Rose to the New York Knicks and on Tuesday, the Cavs announced they had signed their former foe to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract.
Every high in Rose's career seems to have been followed by a low. Cleveland, however, is hopeful that a rejuvenated Rose can help bolster a Cavs backcourt that may soon be without star guard Kyrie Irving, who has reportedly requested a trade from the franchise.
Just who is Derrick Rose and what can Cavs fans expect from the team's latest addition? Let's take a look.
Rose's renaissance?
Despite an injury history that might suggest otherwise, there's reason to believe Rose might be a valuable member of the Cavs roster. Just last season, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 18.0 points on on .471 shooting, as well as 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game while playing for the New York Knicks.
Those collective averages were Rose's best since the 2011-12 season.
While he's not the same outside shooter that Irving is -- Rose shot just .217 from 3-point range last season -- he's an effective finisher at the rim. According to NBA.com's advanced stats, Rose successfully scored on 51.2 percent of his drives last year. For comparison's sake, Irving scored on 51.4 of his.
While Rose's lack of shooting range could create potential problems for the Cavs' spacing, the pairing of his athleticism and natural talent alongside LeBron James' could prove advantageous should he stay healthy.
That's perhaps the biggest question he faces as he arrives in Cleveland. After all, there's a reason he was available on a one-year, veteran minimum contract.
Hardly healthy
After playing in at least 78 games in the first three seasons of his NBA career, Rose has yet to appear in more than 66 since the 2010-11 season. The biggest culprit keeping Rose off the court has been reoccurring knee injuries, which cost him the entirety of the 2012-13 season and all but 10 games the following year.
Over the course of his nine-year career, Rose has undergone four knee surgeries, including one to repair a torn meniscus that cost him his final five games with the Knicks last season. Rose's recovery was only expected to last six-to-eight weeks, but his history on the injury report remains a red flag nonetheless.
Trophy track record
Prior to his first torn ACL, which he suffered in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, Rose was indisputably one of basketball's best players. After being selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, Rose won Rookie of the Year honors a year before being selected to his first of three All-Star teams.
In 2011, Rose was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player, edging out Dwight Howard and James, who at that point was in his first season with the Miami Heat. In what was the best season of his career, the 22-year-old Rose averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds while leading the Bulls to the No. 1 seed of the Eastern Conference.
The Chicago native would go on to make the All-Star Game once again the following year -- marking the last time he'd do so before injuries hampered both his effectiveness and availability.
Signature shoe
While Rose and James are now teammates on the court, in at least one capacity, they remain rivals off of it. In 2012, the then-reigning MVP signed a 13-year contract with Adidas, which included $185 million in guarantees.
James, of course, possesses a lifetime contract with Nike.
Even as injuries have limited his visibility -- and perhaps more importantly, his marketability -- Adidas has routinely released signature shoes for Rose, including the D Rose 7, which he wore this past season. In March, an early version of the D Rose 8 appeared to leak online.
No word yet on whether or not they'll come in wine and gold.
Off-court issues
For as many twists and turns as his career has taken on the court, Rose has endured even more off of it. Simply put, drama has had a habit of following the new Cavs guard.
In college, his accomplishments at Memphis were ultimately vacated after it was ruled someone else had taken the SAT for him. The NCAA also alleged the school had provided free travel to Rose's brother, Reggie.
In 2016, Rose stood trial in a federal lawsuit that accused him and two friends of raping a woman in Los Angeles. He was ultimately cleared of the charges by an eight-person jury last October.
And this past January, Rose missed a game for the Knicks -- which wasn't uncommon on the surface -- except he failed to inform the franchise of his whereabouts. After going AWOL, Rose later returned to the team, explaining he had missed the game due to a family matter.
