Derrick Rose fights against rape allegation in civil lawsuit

A woman who says Derrick Rose and two friends gang-raped her wept quietly in court as her lawyer provided jurors with lurid descriptions but the NBA star's defense fired back by portraying the encounter as something from a porn film, not a horror movie.

Opening statements began Wednesday in the woman's $21.5 million federal court lawsuit, which claims she was either drugged or had drunkenly passed out before the sexual encounters at her apartment in August 2013.

She was the victim of a "classic gang rape" by a man — Rose — who has never shown remorse and told New York Knicks President Phil Jackson that he'd lost no sleep over the matter, attorney Waukeen McCoy said.

Rose, 28, didn't appear for the start of trial — he was in Houston a day earlier for the Knicks' preseason opener — but he was expected in court Thursday.

The six women and two men empaneled as jurors on Wednesday found themselves listening to play-by-play descriptions of the encounter.

But they had pained expressions as the woman's lawyer provided a graphic description of what he described as a callous assault as she faded in and out of consciousness.

"The plaintiff will tell you all three men were in the bedroom at the same time," McCoy said. "Each of them took turns raping her, they don't even know who went first."

As he spoke, the 30-year-old woman leaned forward so her long dark hair covered her face and dabbed at her eyes with tissues.

The Associated Press is not naming her because it generally does identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault.

No criminal charges have been filed against Rose but Los Angeles police continue to investigate.

In sharp contrast to McCoy's statement, defense lawyers doubled down on their assertions that the accuser willingly had sex with the trio at Rose's mansion in Beverly Hills.

They said the woman gave lap dances earlier under a sky full of stars by the side of Rose's pool overlooking city lights, performed oral sex on Rose and had sex with his two friends before inviting them back to her apartment.

"There was no gang rape," attorney Mike Monico said. "There was no rape at all."

McCoy said the story about her having sex earlier in the night was falsely concocted to try to show she was insatiable and wanted to have sex with the men later that night.

Jurors will have to rely primarily on her word against that of Rose and the other two men, Ryan Allen and Randall Hampton. There is no physical evidence because the woman was not examined by a doctor afterward and did not report the rape to police for two years — after filing the $21 million suit.

McCoy said the woman was too embarrassed to initially report the incident.

After sex, Rose took his condom, put it back in the wrapper and took it with him "like he was never there," McCoy said.

NBA players are instructed to flush their condoms down the toilet or take them so women can't use the sperm to impregnate themselves, Rose's lawyer said.

Rose was traded to the New York Knicks this season after spending his previous seven years in his native Chicago with the Bulls. He's in the final year of a five-year deal that will pay him $21.3 million, almost identical to what the plaintiff is seeking.

"It's a sad effort to get a lottery hit," attorney Mark Baute said of the lawsuit.

The defense will focus on the many text messages the woman exchanged with Rose, whom she dated on and off for nearly two years. The lawyers said the messages showed she was lucid and not intoxicated after returning home from Rose's mansion. They denied she was ever drugged.

The two were split up when she texted Rose out of the blue the morning of Aug. 26 to say he makes her "horny."

Rose replied by asking what she was doing that night and suggested she bring a friend over for a threesome. She rejected that idea, but agreed to bring a friend over later for drinks.

A clip from a deposition taken of Rose was played in which he was asked if there was anything in the text messages that led him to believe the plaintiff wanted to have sex with him and two friends that night.

He said, "No."

In a later clip, he was asked if he understood what consent means.

He also answered, "No."

The Resurgence of Derrick Rose and the Knicks

There has been a lot of talk about the New York Knicks and their prospects for success this season. Alongside returning cornerstones Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks have added Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings this offseason.

This has heightened expectations in New York, and spearheading the team’s attack is the highly talented and athletic Rose. Before Russell Westbrook, Rose was one of the first point guards who captured the league’s attention with his explosive style of play. New head coach Jeff Hornacek has a high-paced offense that puts point guards in positions to succeed (like Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe in Phoenix). Put Rose in that system with a number of offensive weapons surrounding him and it’s not hard to imagine the 27-year-old having a strong season. In order for the Knicks to contend in the Eastern Conference, they’ll be relying heavily on the one-time league MVP.

With Rose positioned within Coach Hornacek’s offense to do what he does best – attack downhill and penetrate the lane – this could free up Porzingis, Anthony and Lee for more perimeter opportunities and easier looks at the basket. Hornacek may also opt to play his two new point guards together at times (as he did in Phoenix), especially since Jennings is a natural scorer and could be paired alongside Rose. There are numerous lineup permutations for New York to consider with this group.

This roster’s potential is creating increased optimism in New York, and the Knicks are hoping that the change of scenery – combined with the added incentive of a contract year – will be the impetus Rose needs to return to form. Playing well this year could enable Rose to secure a very lucrative deal next summer. And Rose’s production may be the X-factor for the Knicks this season, so both sides clearly need this marriage to work, even if just short-term, in order for them to live up to their full potential.

But for all the buzz surrounding the Knicks, we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss Rose’s injury history. Rose has exhibited chronic injury patterns dating back to his initial injury in 2011-12, when he tore his left ACL during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs. Since then, Rose has suffered three major knee injuries and has had three surgeries, causing him to miss 166 of the previous 312 games over the past four seasons. However, there are several tactics that could be employed to generate the performance outcomes that both Rose and and the Knicks desire this season.

One is to have Rose split time with Jennings in the backcourt to minimize the wear and tear on his body and mitigate further injuries. The Knicks could use a strict minute-per-game limit, much like a pitch count, to manage the physical strain on his body throughout the season. This strategy could be effective in saving him for a late playoff push, and allowing Rose to play more minutes per game if the Knicks do get that far. Another approach could be to play Rose off of the ball at times, allowing Jennings to assume more of the point guard duties. This could give Rose a chance to attack from different angles on the court, while leaving Jennings responsible for running the team and keeping Rose fresher for the stretch run.

Another suggestion is to look a little deeper into what may be contributing to Rose’s repetitive injury challenges. One approach some college and professional athletes are beginning to use to eliminate discord associated with injuries are energy psychology performance techniques. These techniques identify and remove blockages within the acupuncture system of a player.

One player with a similar injury history to Rose who benefited greatly from this approach was former Drexel University player Chris Fouch. Fouch, the fifth all-time leader scorer at the school, was forced to suffer two redshirt years because of a series of injuries. In 2013-14, prior to his sixth and final season at Drexel, Fouch went through a four-week program that eliminated blockages causing the guarding, fear of re-injury and lack of trust that he experienced from his past health issues.

“This kid had two major knee surgeries, a broken ankle, a shoulder injury and he was having problems with his recovery,” former Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint said. “The work really helped the kid get over his hurdles, and he had probably one of the most productive seasons of career. It got him to mentally and physically get over the things that really held him back throughout this career. He became one of the all-time leading scorers here at the school. He played a full season; it was the first time in his career that he actually played a full-season at Drexel.”

This same sort of program implemented for Rose could potentially alleviate many of the same sorts of guarding and fear-of-re-injury sensations that Fouch experienced, giving Rose the chance to take his game to the next level this season.

As the Knicks gear up for 2016-17, a hybrid approach that regulates minutes played and usage within offense while also eliminating discord from past injuries could be key for Rose. Doing so could unleash the dynamic playmaker we’ve all seen Rose can be, which could allow the Knicks to make serious noise in the Eastern Conference for the first time in a while.

After playing four years of college basketball at Drexel University, Jake Rauchbach earned an MBA from Drexel and a masters in The Psychology of Human Movement from Temple University. He coached at the collegiate level, founded The MindRight Pro Program and trained numerous professional and Olympic athletes.

NBA RUMORS: DERRICK ROSE ADDS MORE FLAVOR TO NEW YORK KNICKS FOR FREE AGENTS

The New York Knicks are making the smart moves. The capture of Derrick Rose despite limited trade assets and no draft picks is a moment of brilliance for the forlorn franchise. With Rose at the helm, expect more free agents to deflect to Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony believes Rose makes New York Knicks an attractive option for free agents. Rose may not return to his MVP level anymore but as long as he is healthy, the Knicks will be the winner of the trade with Chicago Bulls.

The team has no center as of the moment. They shipped Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant to Bulls. Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah are being eyed to man the middle for Knicks.

These big men are not even looking at joining Knicks before Rose came to town. Now, they all want to be with their former teammate and for Dwight Howard, a chance for a fresh start.

The trio of Kristap Porzingis, Anthony and Rose are intriguing. Anthony and Rose need the ball in their hands to be effective. Nobody knows how new coach Jeff Hornacek will implement a system that makes everyone happy but that is a good problem any coach would love to have.

According to ESPN, the Knicks have now earned a meeting with Kevin Durant. The team will not be an instant contender next season but if Durant arrives, expect them to dethrone Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers as kings of the East.

Anthony and Durant will be teammates in USA roster for Rio Olympics. Expect him to make his trade pitch to the Oklahoma City Thunder star while training together. Remember, James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh hatched their plans to play together in 2008 while playing for team U.S.A., two years later they were all part of Miami Heat.

Per Washington Post, Anthony is pumped up playing alongside Derrick Rose as early as now. It means the Knicks are actually trying to make players deals that enable the team to win now. Not later, not two seasons after.

Derrick Rose has a chip on his shoulder. He has to prove the Bulls were wrong in trading him. And now, he has a shot at redemption, as long as he is healthy, in New York Knicks.

NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls reveal their offseason plan for Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler

Rumors and speculations are now swirling around the Chicago Bulls regarding their offseason plan for their two superstars Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler.

Derrick Rose has been part of recent trade rumors involving the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Bulls’ president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman will be looking for a quality point guard in the NBA draft. Not only because Derrick Rose will be entering his final year before his contract expires, but also because they do not have faith that Rose will still be fit for coach Fred Hoiberg’s system.

It is undeniable that Rose’s performance has tremendously gone down when he suffered multiple injuries in the past seasons. There are no direct confirmation from the Bulls’ management if they will be pursuing the trade but they must make a huge adjustment in their roster to be a more competitive team next season.

On the other hand, Jimmy Butler was also previously included in the trade rumors. The two-way Bulls’ star attracts lots of NBA teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Both teams can offer their top picks to the Chicago Bulls to acquire Butler. However, it seems like the Chicago Bulls would prefer to keep him and make him the main man of their team.

According to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, the Chicago Bulls are open to listening to offers for Butler but that should benefit more their team. The said trade offer should involve a top-3 pick in the 2016 NBA draft and a starter which is obviously too much for any NBA team to make.

“A league source tells CSNNE.com that the Bulls, while still open to listening to offers for Butler, are telling teams that are inquiring about his availability that their plan, for now, is to keep him in the fold.”

“And while there was some thought that a top-3 pick coupled with a few decent players might be enough to entice the Bulls to pull the trigger on a deal to trade Butler, CSNNE.com has been told such an offer would have to include at least one “legitimate, NBA starter” for the Bulls to even possibly consider trading him.”

If the trade will not proceed, the Chicago Bulls can still build up their team with Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. There are speculations that coach Fred Hoiberg will be moving Rose to the shooting guard position and Butler to the small forward position. This means that their main focus this offseason is still to find a quality point guard either via trade, NBA draft or free agency.

Derrick Rose takes positives from playing 66 games, looks ahead to offseason

Derrick Rose began this season wearing a mask and ended it Monday night at something called the Smoothie King Center, unfortunate bookends to flashes of greatness in between.

With the Bulls out of the playoff picture, Rose is done, consistent with his plan not to jeopardize his long-term health unnecessarily. The plan worked as Rose appeared in 66 games, five more than in his three previous seasons combined.

"It's a process," Rose said. "Every year is going to be different. Every year, I'm going to try to add things to my game to try to help the team. The goal is to win a championship, and that's what I'm trying to get on my resume."

When Rose experienced hamstring, ankle or knee soreness, he sat, mindful of the three knee surgeries he has endured.

But Rose rushed back to play in the season opener after missing almost all of training camp following surgery to repair a left orbital fracture. And he tried to play with basically one arm for a game and a half two weeks ago before sitting with an elbow injury.

Rose admitted the eye injury, which forced him to sit in a darkened room for close to two weeks without activity, affected him.

"It set me back," he said. "But everything happens for a reason. ... I can't look back on it and say, 'All right, it stopped me from doing this and doing that.' It made my bank shot better. That's one of the positives I got out of it. And it gave me time to really look at the game."

Rose, who finished with averages of 16.4 points and 4.7 assists, refused to use the injury as an excuse for his slow start.

"It would've been a process anyway," he said. "Usually after I come back from working out during the summer, it takes me a couple games anyway because I don't play pickup. Working out all the time is good, but you need bodies out there to get used to (opponents) being around."

That prompted a follow-up question about whether Rose would ever change his offseason routine. But Rose said his pattern, which could include workouts with Jimmy Butler this summer, has worked for him.

Though injuries knocked Rose out of the postseason from 2012 to 2014, this is the first time the Bulls haven't qualified since he was drafted in 2008.

"This is the most (offseason) time I'll have in my career," Rose said. "After this, I'll probably be in the playoffs until my career ends. So I'm going to hang with my son and enjoy this summer."

Bulls' Derrick Rose: Questionable to play Saturday

Rose (hamstring) is questionable to play Saturday against the Trail Blazers, The Chicago Tribune reports.

Rose has missed the previous two games for the Bulls due to hamstring tendinitis, and will likely be a true game-time decision Saturday. If he cannot go, expect E'Twaun Moore to continue replacing him at point guard, and Tony Snell sliding into the two-spot. Head coach Fred Hoiberg will have his press conference around 5:15 central time, so expect a more definitive status update following that.

Derrick Rose sits vs. Trail Blazers; Jimmy Butler's MRI 'looked good'

CHICAGO -- Bulls point guard Derrick Rose missed his third straight game Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, but Chicago did get some good news on the injury front when the MRI on Jimmy Butler's injured left knee came back with no surprises.

Rose is dealing with ongoing problems with right hamstring tendinitis, and Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said before Saturday's 103-95 loss that he is "still sore."

"I actually worked Derrick out this morning and he looks better," Hoiberg said. "He looks a lot better than he did the last couple days but [he's] still having trouble exploding off that leg."

Hoiberg said that Rose, who sat out his 10th game this season, is still dealing with some "general soreness," along with the hamstring tendon issues. Hoiberg does not sound outwardly concerned about Rose's injury, but it remains unclear when Rose will be able to play again.

"A lot of it's based on feel," Hoiberg said. "He wasn't moving around great. Better than the last couple days, but he's still got a pretty good limp. We got him some conditioning and we really wanted to push him and test it so we did some full-court conditioning, a lot of shooting drills. He got through a lot of it, but again, he got pretty sore at the end and still isn't able to explode off that leg. So just not quite ready yet."

Butler suffered a knee sprain on Feb. 5 in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. It remains unclear when he will return, but Hoiberg said his recent MRI "looked good."

"The swelling is significantly down and now it's just a matter of Jimmy getting back out there, getting his timing back, getting his conditioning and getting comfortable," Hoiberg said. "He still hasn't exploded off the one leg, he's done some two-foot jumping. He's done some lateral slides, now it's about getting him out there in scrimmage-type situations and getting him ready to play."

As for a potential return date, Hoiberg said the team will "get more of an idea after he tests it."

"Once he gets out there on the floor and does some 2-on-2, 3-on-3 -- work him up to some 5-on-5. But right now I guess it's still a little too early to tell, and once he starts the scrimmage stuff we'll have a better idea."

Hoiberg said Friday that Butler was still "a ways away" from playing in a game, but Saturday's test was encouraging.

"He's chomping at the bit to get back out there," Hoiberg said. "He's excited to get back on the floor. I think today was a positive step after the results of the test. Now it's just a matter of getting him right and making sure mentally he's ready to get back out there and compete -- where he's not out there thinking and worried about the leg. Just going out and playing and reacting."