Gar Forman On Derrick Rose Civil Case: 'We Support Derrick, He's Part Of Our Family'
By Cody Westerlund--
(CBS) In the Bulls' first extensive public comments since a sexual assault civil case was filed against point guard Derrick Rose in California, general manager Gar Forman expressed complete support for the face of the franchise.
"We support Derrick," Forman said at the team's media day Monday. "He's part of our family. I know his teammates support him. Whatever the process is moving forward is the process."
Forman didn't know how the process would play out, nor what a timeline might be, but he didn't anticipate Rose missing any practice time or games because of the case.
"He seems like he's in a great place," Forman said of Rose. "He's attacked the season and attacked his training at a high level.
"We don't feel like there's going to be any distraction."
Forman wouldn't say whether the Bulls were aware of the situation before TMZ broke the news in August.
For his part, Rose was emphatic in maintaining his innocence. It was the first time he appeared in front of reporters since the news came to light, as he'd only previously released a brief statement.
"You all saw everything that was put out," Rose said. "I will be proven innocent, but at the same time it hasn't affected anything. 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 that when you're that focused people just try and take you down, so I'm very confident that I will be proven innocent."
Rose is being sued by an ex-girlfriend who claims he and two of his friends drugged her and then raped her in late August 2013 in California. The accuser brought forth the civil complaint in Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County, and news of it first surfaced in August.
The suit alleges that on multiple occasions, Rose asked the ex-girlfriend — identified only as "Jane Doe" in the court filing — to have sex with Rose his friends. She refused time and again. In August 2013, Rose and his friends drugged her at his Beverly Hills residence, the suit alleges. The plaintiff's friend helped her get home in a cab, but Rose and his friends went to her residence and sexually assaulted and raped her, according to the lawsuit. They gained access because the complex's main door and her apartment door had been left unlocked.
Bulls teammate Taj Gibson also expressed support for Rose.
"I support him in whatever he does," Gibson said. "He's a good teammate, a good person on and off the court. He's been one of the best friends I've had since I've been here. He's always been supportive. I'm behind him 110 percent. That's what I have to say about that."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
