Bulls' Rose: I'll be proven innocent, I'm great, I seek big free-agency payday
Meeting the media for the first time since the end of last season, it would have been easy for Derrick Rose to sit quietly and not say much.
The Chicago Bulls even helped him out a bit by not doing solo podium interviews during Monday's media day at the Advocate Center. Rose was flanked by teammates Mike Dunleavy and Joakim Noah while answering questions.
But Rose spoke up and made some bold statements, starting when questioned about the lawsuit he's facing from an ex-girlfriend. The unnamed woman has accused Rose and two friends of sexual assault.
“I will be proven innocent,” Rose said. “It's not true. I take it as motivation. I feel like the devil is just working. I feel like I'm on the right track as far as where I want to be at in my life, and the direction I want to go.
“And I feel like when you're that focused people just try and take you down, so I'm very confident that I will be proven innocent.”
Some reporters tried to compare Rose's legal situation with that of Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, but there's a significant difference. Rose is not facing any possible criminal charges. The police were never involved.
If the case goes to trial, the outcome will be about determining whether Rose and the other defendants owe the woman financial compensation. Kane, meanwhile, has not been charged with a crime.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman said he does not expect Rose to miss any part of training camp or the regular season because of this case.
Rose took on other topics, too, including his place as an injury-riddled superstar. Back in 2010, Rose asked at media day, “Why can't I be MVP?” then won the award. He offered a slightly different message Monday.
“I know I'm great,” Rose said. “There's a lot of people that don't know I'm great, that's the thing. But it's cool. I know I can hoop. You can put me anywhere and I know how to play the game of basketball. I can't get mad at people for how they criticize my game and the way that I play, or the way that I used to play. I know I'm great and that's it.”
As far as the Bulls' season is concerned, Rose expressing confidence about his abilities is a positive sign.
Just look what happened in 2010-11. After missing nearly two full seasons due to a pair of knee surgeries, Rose showed some promising results in his return to the court last year. If he can build on that and stay healthy, the Bulls will be in great shape.
Then for some reason, Rose decided to reference the rapidly climbing NBA salary scale and his looking forward to becoming a free agent.
“This whole summer I had tunnel vision,” Rose said. “Making sure my family is financially stable, as far as seeing all the money they're passing out in this league. Just telling the truth. Just knowing that my day will be coming up soon, and it's not for me. It's for P.J. (his son) and his future, so that's what I'm thinking about now.”
This was an odd choice. Rose seemed to be announcing his hard work this summer was to prepare himself for a big payday in free agency. And that won't even happen until 2017, after the Bulls pay him $41.4 million over the next two seasons.
When pressed on the free-agency topic, Rose insisted he's hoping to stay in Chicago.
While he might be giving the Bulls a heads up there won't be a hometown discount in 2017, Rose needs to prove he can stay healthy before thinking about his next contract numbers. Had he been a free agent this summer, it's difficult to imagine him getting a maximum offer from any team, including the Bulls.
Thinking about his son's financial future is great, but Rose shouldn't forget about the fans who pay his current and future salary. Saying he worked hard this summer so he could bring a championship to Chicago would have been a better sound bite, cliché as it may be.
Monday's statement was as much of a head-scratcher as last year when he talked about sitting out games because he didn't want to limp into business meetings when he's older.
At the same time, Forman and new coach Fred Hoiberg are excited about Rose's progress this summer. For the first time since 2011, Rose spent the summer training for the basketball season, rather than rehabbing a knee injury.
“He looks terrific,” Forman said. “Physically he's in a good place, mentally he's in a good place.”
Added Hoiberg: “Seeing him in the gym, he's got his explosiveness right now. I anticipate Derrick getting off to a great start.”
The Bulls have plenty of talented players on the roster and probably don't need Rose to be a superstar in order to challenge for the Eastern Conference title. But they can't do it without him, either.