After a standout debut season in which he was voted NBA Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose's off-season encountered more turbulence Thursday.
Weeks after he was linked to allegations of academic fraud at the University of Memphis, the Bulls' star guard issued a statement declaring his vehement opposition to gangs in response to a photo posted on the Internet that showed him flashing gang signs at a party in Memphis during his freshman year there.
An apologetic Derrick Rose has issued a statement through the Chicago Bulls, explaining why a photograph of him flashing a gang sign has been circulating on the Internet.
In a statement released Thursday, shortly after the Chicago Tribune and other news outlets reported on the photo, Rose called the picture a bad joke made during his one year at the University of Memphis and strongly denied that he has ever been involved in gang activity.
"This photo of me was taken at a party I attended in Memphis while I was in school there, and was meant as a joke . . . a bad one, I now admit. I want to emphatically state, now and forever, that Derrick Rose is anti-gang, anti-drug, and anti-violence. I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with any gang and I can’t speak loudly enough against gang violence, and the things that gangs represent. " Say Rose
"In posing for this picture, I am guilty of being young, naive and of using extremely poor judgment. I sincerely apologize to all my fans for my mistake. I pride myself on being a good citizen, and role model, that young people can look up to and I want to urge all my young fans to stay away from gangs and gang-related activities." he added
In the picture, Rose was throwing signs for the Gangster Disciples Nation, a prominent Chicago gang with tens of thousands of members, according to the Tribune. The gang is a dominant presence in the Englewood neighborhood where Rose grew up.
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