WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — With his civil trial for sexual assault set to begin Oct. 4, Knicks point guard Derrick Rose says he hasn’t been contacted by the police and expects to be “proven innocent.”
“As far as the trial, that’s something I can’t think about,” Rose said Monday at Knicks’ Media Day, adding that he hasn’t been contacted by police. “It’s not true, I will be proven innocent and I haven’t been thinking about it. I’m letting my [legal] team handle it.”
USA Today reported Monday that Los Angeles police continue to investigate Rose over the allegations, according to federal court records.
“This note is to clarify any misconceptions that the Los Angeles Police Departments does not have a current criminal investigation pending that names the suspects in the current civil case being handled by your office,” Det. Nadine Hernandez wrote in a letter sent on Thursday.
Rose said he hasn’t been contacted by the police.
“No, I haven’t talked to anyone and this is my first time hearing about it,” Rose said. “Once again, I’m not worried about it. I feel I can handle anything.”
The trial is slated to being Oct. 4 in Los Angeles, the same day the Knicks open the preseason in Houston.
The Knicks begin training camp Tuesday and it remains unclear if Rose, whom the Knicks obtained in a blockbuster trade in July and who is in the last year of his contract, will miss any time during the preseason because of the trial.
Knicks President Phil Jackson said on Friday the case “isn’t keeping [Rose] up at night.”
“I’m not worried about it, but if I do have to miss time, it’s a part of it,” Rose said. “Of course, I don’t want to be in this position but it is what it is. I’m going to let my lawyers and let my team handle it.”
Meantime, Carmelo Anthony said there is tremendous “excitement” surrounding the team, and cited the addition of Rose, who played 66 games last season following multiple knee surgeries.
“I’ve never played alongside a guy like Derrick,” Anthony said. “I’ve played alongside other point guards in my career, different style, different type of point guards.
“But to play alongside an explosive guy like Derrick, someone who can pick the pace up, someone who’s a threat at that position, the only thing that I can do is go out there and play basketball and and enjoy playing basketball again.”
Of Rose, Anthony added: “He’s extremely focused right now. He’s healthy, he has a different mindset. He has a clear mind and he’s ready to go out there and try to help us with our goals.”
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