Chicago Bulls GM Gar Forman took to the podium first at the team’s Media Day which kicked off the 2015-16 season. The first eight questions Forman received all related to the lawsuit against Derrick Rose. Forman didn’t say much other than his belief that Rose won’t miss any playing time due to any legal proceedings. He also reiterated that the Bulls organization fully supports Rose.
An ex-girlfriend of Rose is alleging that he and his friends gang-raped her in 2013.
Rose initially issued a public statement when news of the civil suit broke last month, but today was the first time he has commented publicly since then.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/648583044727730176
Derrick Rose maintains that he is innocent.
“It’s not true,” Rose said. “I can’t let one incident that’s not true affect the way that I live, and I’m not going to let it. I love my life actually, so I can’t complain about anything. I’ve just got to take this, use it as fuel and the season is around the corner.”
Derrick Rose discussion, at least from an off-the-court perspective, usually revolves around his recovery and rehabilitation. This year, it’s about something much more serious- the crime that he’s accused of. Especially given the local sports media climate, with the Patrick Kane story line ever present.
Kane and Rose live on the same floor in Trump Tower. D. Rose was asked if he has seen or interacted with Kane lately. Derrick said he hasn’t seen Kane or his mother around the building in quite awhile.
The two Chicago winter sports icons are more inter-twined than ever now, and it’s not just because they’re neighbors. They were accused of very similar crimes, in the same exact month. They’re very close in age, and they both got seriously injured on the same exact night this past February.
Moving forward, it doesn’t seem very likely that Kane’s sexual assault case will go to a grand jury. Watching the press conference of the Erie County District Attorney on Friday, it seems highly unlikely that Kane will be charged. With Derrick Rose, it seems even less likely.
No one within the Bulls organization seems to think that this case will have any impact on Rose or the team at all.
https://twitter.com/CBullsbball/status/648612043155746817
Derrick Rose is so confident in his inevitable exoneration that he’s already looking ahead to his free agency. That’s an entirely different topic, and we’ll cover that here.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram