While the New York Knicks hope that the addition of Derrick Rose will lead to more wins, Rose is reportedly much more concerned about off the court issues than he’s been “letting on.”
The former MVP is set to go to civil trial on October 4 for an alleged gang rape that took place in Los Angeles during the summer of 2013. By every account, Rose has let the media know that he isn’t worried about the case, but Chris Mannix of The Vertical reports that he’s much more troubled about his legal issues than he’s led us to believe.
For now, the Knicks wait – and hope. Hope that the civil suit is resolved quickly. Hope that Rose – who has been troubled by the uncertainty of his legal entanglements more than he is letting on, sources familiar with Rose told The Vertical – is able to block out the distractions and build on the progress he made last season. Hope that a season meant to return the Knicks to the ranks of the respectable isn’t derailed before it starts.
Things looked bad from the jump for Rose, but after Think Progress dug into the case a few weeks ago, the details painted an ugly picture for the former Chicago Bulls star, and things have only gotten worse from there.
Last week, we learned that the LAPD is investigating the case and that a criminal case could be looming if investigators feel they can build a case against Rose.
Even with everything going on, Rose has always said that he believes everything will work out. Even as late as Monday afternoon at the Knicks media day, Rose told the Associated Press that he “doesn’t believe that he’s done anything wrong.”
Last week, we learned that Rose didn’t know the definition of consent during his deposition, which is incredibly troubling for someone who believes he’s innocent of sexual assault.
No matter what Rose is saying, it’s hard to believe that anyone could be completely at ease with this much going on in his personal life. If Rose really is more concerned than he’s letting on, than the Knicks should probably be much more concerned about this upcoming season than what they’re leading us to believe, too.
