Rose hopes absence doesn't endanger potential long-term future with Knicks
Regardless of whether Derrick Rose was justified in not being with the New York Knicks for their game Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans, the point guard's failure to inform the team of his absence ahead of time could come back to bite him. The former league MVP hopes that's not the case.
"When I was in the room I felt like they understood where I was coming from," Rose said of his talk with the Knicks' staff, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "I hope one incident didn't change their minds. Who knows? This is a business and if it was to happen I'm still going to play the way I normally know how to play no matter where I'm at."
Rose revealed Tuesday that he traveled back to his home in Chicago to be with his family for an undisclosed reason. He then apologized to his teammates, coaches, and management for not answering or returning their calls at the time, saying he needed his "space."
He's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Rose told media prior to Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls that he'd like to return to the Big Apple - and reportedly wants it to be on a max contract - but his recent actions may shake the team's confidence in him when it comes to making such a commitment.
Related - Rose doesn't regret Knicks game no-show: 'Family over everything'
His teammates, at the very least, have been openly supportive of Rose since Monday, which has made getting back to business on the court much easier.
"When I came back felt nothing but love," Rose said, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "I apologized to them. It eases everything when they understand. If I came back and felt negative energy and people looking at me different, I felt nothing but love and they gave me room and space to actually think and process everything."
Despite his public apology, the Knicks still fined Rose a reported $200,000, which is roughly 1/110th of his yearly salary.