Rose won't sell Trump condo: 'I stay out of the political world'
As the blowback radiates from the NBA world in response to Donald Trump's election win, count Derrick Rose as one star with no plans to make a political statement by selling his Trump property.
"I stay out of the political world,’" Rose said, in regards to his penthouse at Chicago's Trump International Hotel and Tower, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "His beliefs are his beliefs."
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The Chicago native and former Bull purchased the 84th-floor condo for a reported $2.8 million in 2012, long before Trump's White House dream became a reality, but after he'd already publicly questioned President Barack Obama's birthplace.
"With everything that is going on around his name and the controversy going on around his name, I get it," the New York Knicks point guard said. "I bought my place well before he became a candidate. And I felt like nobody could tell me to sell my property. But I understand the teams' side as far as not wanting to associate themselves with that name."
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Earlier this week, a report surfaced that three NBA teams - and possibly more to come - had canceled deals to stay at Trump-branded hotels on road trips. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, an outspoken critic of the president-elect, admitted he made the decision months ago.
While Trump's brand is expected to suffer a financial hit - at least temporarily - due to his polarizing rhetoric, Rose is comfortable with his investment.
"The reason why I kept my place is I felt like that’s a great location," he said of the tower, which stands on the north bank of the Chicago River. "I felt no one can tell me where to sell my property and how to sell it. I felt like I can make a helluva profit down the line, if I want to sell it or don't want to. The location is so great, I can keep it in my family for generations."