National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: The Curious Case Of Derrick Rose

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Derrick Rose begins the second part of his career with the weight of both on-court expectations and an impending sexual assault trial on his shoulders.

Both on and off the court, Derrick Rose has been described as a humble introvert. A native of Chicago, injuries derailed a once believed to be iconic career.

Now, at 27 years of age, Rose is looking for redemption as the starting point guard for the New York Knicks.

Like most people, Rose is complex. In the past, Rose has committed his time and money towards improving the inner cities of Chicago. However, Rose’s ongoing trial for sexual assault is the latest transgression that continues a narrative that has plagued so many athletes before him.

Be careful of the company you keep.

This article is not meant to address Rose’s guilt or innocence. A court will decide that. Nor is it meant to prioritize the cautionary tale of “choose your friends wisely” over the abhorrent and morally reprehensible decision-making that may or may not have led to sexual assault.

Rather, a brief look at Rose’s history with decision-making suggests that, at the very least, he must exercise significant self-reflection as it concerns both his decisions and his inner-circle going forward.

By now, much has been written regarding Derrick Rose’s sexual assault case, which will begin trial on October 4. Coincidently, the New York Knicks will play their first preseason game in Houston against the Rockets.

As per an article written by Patrick O’Connell of The Chicago Tribune, the plaintiff, “Jane Doe”, alleges that, on August 26 of 2013, three men, including Rose, Randall Hampton (Rose’s manager), and Ryan Allen, placed drugs in her drink and later sexually assaulted her after breaking into her apartment.

This story sent shockwaves throughout the NBA community, as Rose is largely considered a good person who treats people well, both on and off the court.

Rose’s inner circle includes both Allen and Hampton, who grew up in Chicago with Rose and have known him since middle school. In 2011, Scott Powers for ESPN interviewed Hampton who said:

“We tried to keep the same core guys,” said Hampton, who is Rose’s personal assistant. “We’ve all grown up together since sixth grade. We try to keep it that tight. We don’t want all these outsiders coming in. People try, but we don’t really give them the time of day.”

Reportedly, Hampton handles most of Rose’s day-to-day responsibilities.

This isn’t the first time that Rose or someone from his camp have come under scrutiny for poor decision-making. In 2011, as reported by The Chicago Tribune, Rose was in the passenger seat of a car driven by Hampton when he was stopped and arrested for a misdemeanor charge of drunk driving.

It’s important to note that Rose wasn’t arrested, but nevertheless, this was not the storyline that most general managers and coaches would want to see from their superstar.

Additionally, in 2009, Rose himself came under criticism after an NCAA Infractions report stated that Rose did not take the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test). Instead, he had someone else take the test for him. Andy Katz of ESPN wrote that a forensic handwriting expert concluded that the handwriting in Rose’s supposed completed test was not his own.

In May of 2008, The University of Memphis was notified by the Educational Testing Service that Rose’s score had been canceled. To date, Rose maintains his innocence, however Memphis was forced to vacate their 38 wins from the 2007-2008 season, which ended in defeat to the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Title game.

Despite this, Rose has been an advocate for improving resources for inner-city communities of his hometown Chicago. In an article written by Nancy Armour of USA Today, Rose reportedly donated $1 million to a program called After School Matters.

In addition to keeping youths off the street, the program provides teenagers with apprenticeships and internships, introducing them to various careers before entering college. One statistic demonstrated that teenagers involved in the After School Matters program had a high school graduation rate of 88 percent.

Rose is in the midst of a very important personal and professional transition. Regardless of the outcome of his trial, he must learn from his mistakes and reconsider his own decision-making as well his inner circle.

There are too many horror stories of professional athletes negatively affected by their own friends. Rose, on the rebound from injury, will have to chose his own path.