Phil Jackson On Derrick Rose’s Rape Case: ‘We’re Not Concerned’

Derrick Rose is due in Los Angeles court on October 4 for a civil sexual battery lawsuit where the plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, has accused Rose and two of his friends of a 2013 gang rape. Rose, however, denies the allegations and claims that the sex between the parties was consensual.

October 4 also happens to be the date of the Knicks’ first preseason game against the Houston Rockets. While speaking to the press yesterday, Phil Jackson was asked about Rose’s upcoming civil trial and said that the Knicks are “not concerned.”

Via the Associated Press:

“We’re just going to let the process work itself out,” Jackson said during a news conference at the team’s practice facility.

 

“We’re not concerned. We understand this is a serious subject we’re talking about, but this has to be done outside of our control. It’s something we can’t control,” Jackson said. “So Derrick has expressed that he’s not concerned about it. I mean he’s quite aware of it, but it’s not keeping him up at night, so we’ll leave it at that.”

 

“We anticipate that it will not affect his season, hopefully, training camp or games, but we’re going to let the due process of the justice system work its way through in the next week and a half or so,” Jackson said.