ORLANDO, Fla. -- Technology is good, and technology is bad. This lesson Derrick Rose has learned the hard way.
Rose, the reigning NBA rookie of the year, issued a statement Thursday apologizing for using "extremely poor judgment" in allowing himself to be depicted flashing what appeared to be gang signs in a photo making its away around the Internet.
The photo was taken at a party during Rose's freshman year at the University of Memphis. According to the Chicago Tribune, the symbols Rose is flashing with his hands are those of the notorious Gangster Disciples Nation, the predominant gang in Rose's native Englewood neighborhood.
"Recently, a photo has been circulating on the Internet which appears to depict me flashing a gang sign," Rose said in the statement. "This photo of me was taken at a party I attended in Memphis while I was in school there, and was meant as a joke ... a bad one, I now admit. I want to emphatically state, now and forever, that Derrick Rose is anti-gang, anti-drug, and anti-violence. I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with any gang and I can't speak loudly enough against gang violence, and the things that gangs represent.
"In posing for this picture, I am guilty of being young, naive and of using extremely poor judgment. I sincerely apologize to all my fans for my mistake."
It's been a busy summer for Rose, who also has been implicated in an NCAA scandal at Memphis allegedly centered around the legitimacy of his SAT score and improper travel funds that, according to Yahoo! Sports, were funneled to Rose's brother. Rose's attorney has denied any wrongdoing on Rose's part and has said that the player is cooperating with the NCAA probe.
As always, thoughts, comments, and personal attacks are welcome.
