Jackson: Knicks, Derrick Rose Not Concerned About Guard's Possible Rape Trial
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York Knicks don't expect Derrick Rose's season to be affected because of a potential rape trial, but won't say if he might miss any games.
A woman has accused Rose of rape in California, and the civil trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 4, the same day as the Knicks' preseason opener at Houston.
Knicks president of operations Phil Jackson said Friday that neither the team nor Rose is concerned about the trial.
"We're going to let the process work itself out," Jackson told reporters at the team's practice facility in Greenburgh. "We're not concerned. We understand it's a serious subject we're talking about. This has to be done outside our control. It's something we can't control. Derrick has expressed he's not concerned about it. He's aware of it, but it's not keeping him up at night."
The topic is one Jackson clearly doesn't want to spend much discussing.
"We want to put this to rest," he said. "It doesn't need to be a lot of talk about this."
Minutes later, Jackson refused to answer a question about how thoroughly the Knicks investigated the claims against Rose before trading for him and if he was concerned about the public's perception about the move.
The alleged victim sued Rose last year, claiming the former MVP and two of his friends raped her in August 2013 while she was incapacitated after a night of drinking. Rose and the others deny her claims and contend they had consensual sex with her that night.
Rose and the woman dated non-exclusively for nearly two years before the alleged rape.
The Knicks acquired Rose from the Chicago Bulls in June. The point guard was the NBA MVP in 2011 but has battled injuries since, not appearing in more than 66 games in any season.
But coach Jeff Hornacek said Rose is healthy and has looked quick in workouts.
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