There was a ton of off-season drama to cause a stir in the NBA, including a trade that would send Derrick Rose packing to the New York Knicks. It's clear a once dominant point guard's, injuries was a roadblock in accomplishing his goal of bringing a championship to his hometown Chicago, which would cause the separation between him and the Chicago Bulls, but injuries isn't the only roadblock in the way of being the former MVP he once was. New details on rape allegations against Rose has been revealed and could mean trouble for the Knicks new starting Point Guard.
On August 26th, TMZ reported former Chicago Bulls star, "is being sued by a woman who claims the NBA superstar and two of his friends [Randall Hampton and Ryan Allen] drugged and gang-raped her." this event particularly took place in 2013. The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Rose's accuser, an ex-girlfriend from 2011-2013, was looking for $6 million in compensatory damages and $15.5 in punitive damages. TMZ added information on what Rose's side of the story. (Warning: Contains sexual content.)
Rose says things were so cool the following day—the accuser casually had a cup of coffee with her roommate in the morning after the sex ... and headed into work for a full shift. The implication is that a rape victim would have been way too distraught to have done any of that.
In the docs, Rose says the woman only began to get upset with him a few weeks or months later because she felt she should have been reimbursed for one of the sex toys she bought and used during the night in question.
Rose commented during Bulls media Monday stating, "it wasn't true," and he is confident that he will be proven innocent. He also hoped it would catch people's attention regarding what people you could have in your life for various reasons. The trial didn't have any evidence or legitimacy at the time, so it was brushed off by most fans and players attention. It also didn't distract him from playing in his final season for the Bulls, claiming it was "motivation."
"The plaintiff's allegations are completely false and without any factual basis. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete. Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years. The plaintiff expressed no complaints about Mr. Rose until various lawyers began to surface and demand that the plaintiff be paid millions of dollars. ... This is the third lawyer the plaintiff has retained in this matter. Two years have passed since Mr. Rose ended the consensual relationship with the plaintiff, and her claims are as meritless now as they were two years ago. We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous." said Rose's Attorney
Now, traded to the New York Knicks, The rape trial seemed to have died down in the media, making it easier to focus on his next move and contribute to helping the Knicks win. Rose said he was ready to move on to New York and there are tons of videos and pictures of him working out and spending time with players on the Knicks such as: Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney Lee, Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony and more. His excitement has most likely toned down as new details emerged on the rape trial.
The accuser, Jane Doe, reported while dating the Bulls star, he would repeatedly ask to be a part of multiple sexual activities and did not compensate her for adult toys bought. She claimed it was the reason he called off the relationship and texts from Rose were shown proving he was asking for videos. Rose admitted to asking for the sexual activities and evidence was shown on the night of the alleged rape calling the accuser and telling her to "wake up" It showed Rose in a new light to some people; Some even losing respect. Whatever type of relationship Bulls All-Star had with Jane Doe wasn't a normal one and there's a ton of shocking evidence to look at.
Q: Did either Mr. Hampton or Mr. Allen tell you why they wanted to go to Plaintiff’s home on the night in question?
Rose: No. No.
Q: So they just said, ‘Hey, it’s the middle of the night. Let’s go over to Plaintiff’s house’ and they never gave you a reason why they wanted to go over there?’
Rose: No, but we men. You can assume.
Q: I’m sorry?
Rose: I said we men. You can assume. Like we leaving to go over to someone’s house at 1:00, there’s nothing to talk about.
What does this mean for Rose? Well, He said he wasn't going to let this change his lifestyle and is still going to play hard for the Knicks, but what about his image? First of all, this isn't good for Knicks newest Point Guard's image. Chicago's hometown hero and now a New York Knick, is someone people look up to. People consider him a role model, and the media loves to play a role in ruining that. Things are always taken out of context, not everything you hear is what you can believe, but evidence is evidence.
This is definitely going to slow down Rose, having to go to court and missing practices is something familiar in Kobe Bryant's past rape trial. Family life is what seems to matter the most to him over basketball and if affected, he could take time off from the NBA. Back in 2013, Rose said he wasn't ready to return to the NBA because he wants to be healthy for his son's graduation. Just an example of him choosing family over basketball, which isn't a bad thing as a father, but a bad thing for the Knicks.
Rose's rape trial can make things worse with media for the Knicks. Team chemistry could also take a hit as some players will look down on it and Rose's emotional state plays a role on how he plays his game too. In 2013, Rose once stated after a bad performance during a game, that his "mind wasn't ready." A statement like that shows that when it seems he isn't 100%, it's due to a lack of confidence. He may say he isn't distracted but it's hard not to be. With his face all over a new city. Knicks fans have rejoiced and rushed to buy Derrick Rose Jerseys, but depending on the trial's outcome, a fan favorite could turn fans into a less supportive cast as his face is now the cover of a rape trial with compelling evidence.
Up until now nothing has been biased, coming from a huge Derrick Rose fan and his inspiration to write as a journalist there's a lot to relate to. There's no doubt it has hurt the mass amount of fans supporting him and looking up to him. Fans see Derrick Rose as Chicago's MVP, an amazing father and a hard working person who stayed focus on his goal and accomplished his dream. He was raised by a loving single mother and had 3 amazing brothers to protect him from all of the negative influences Chicago had, keeping him steady on the road to the NBA. He's a quiet person and is goofy at times and is overall a very positive and passionate person when it comes to Chicago and basketball. Maybe it is a desperate attempt for money, but then again we can't take this situation lightly as rape is a huge issue and should be taken seriously. However what he does outside basketball is not of our concern.
But to be honest, as a fan who takes inspiration from Rose to write and play basketball, it hurts to see a side or your role model like that. Further details are expected to come out and fans can only hope Chicago's Former MVP will stay focused on the Knicks, until then people need to remember that Derrick Rose is innocent until proven otherwise.
