Joakim Noah on Derrick Rose accuser: She was trying to make money off my friends
New York Knicks forward Joakim Noah is relieved to have Derrick Rose back with the team, but criticized the accuser in Rose's rape trial for causing him to miss part of the preseason, he told reporters.
Rose and two of his associates were found not liable in a civil sexual assault lawsuit on Wednesday in Los Angeles. The plaintiff, Jane Doe, accused Rose and two friends of raping her at her apartment in Los Angeles in the summer of 2013. She filed civil suit two years after the alleged assault. The accuser has remained anonymous throughout the proceedings.
“It’s a blessing to have him come back—it’s great the truth came out,” Noah said. “We didn’t have a point guard for all of preseason. All because of a girl who was trying to make money off my friends. … [It] is just whack.”
Rose missed four preseason games in order to be in attendance for the trial. He spoke to Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek after the verdict and will rejoin the team soon.
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“It was important to prove I did not do what I was accused of, even if it meant publicly sharing very private details about my personal life,” Rose said in a statement.
The Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 121–96 in Thursday's preseason game. Rose is not expected to play until the team's season opener on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
