Derrick Rose. File photo
After receiving flak from pundits for going AWOL on his team last Wednesday, New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose said he wouldn’t change a single thing.
READ: Derrick Rose mysterious no-show for Knicks’ game
As it turned out, the former league MVP flew to Chicago to be with his mother, who was experiencing an undisclosed type of emotional distress.
He returned to action on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers where he put up 25 points and 4 assists, albeit in a losing effort.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the 28-year-old unequivocally said he wouldn’t have done things differently.
“Family before anything,” Rose relayed to CSN Philadelphia. “Family over everything.”
He also hoped that his loyal fans would stick by him despite the incident. “I felt like they (fans) understood where I was coming from,” he added. “I hope one incident didn’t change their mind.”
Furthermore, Rose also shot down rumors that he contemplated early retirement altogether during his brief absence.
“That’s something I don’t even want to speak into existence by commenting on it,” he told The New York Post.
“I don’t even know who would do that. Not at all. I was with my family,” he said, admitting that he was bothered by the reports, more than the hefty fine he got from the Knicks management.
READ: NBA: Rose fined, back with Knicks after mystery absence
The former University of Memphis product also revealed that he’s moving on from the incident and shifting his focus to helping his team get more wins.
“The relationship I’m building with Phil (Jackson) and Steve (Mills), I wouldn’t mind asking if I needed it,” he described the squad’s top executives. “I feel fine. What happened a couple days ago was in the past.”
The Knicks managed to pull off a victory against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on Friday, with Rose contributing 17 points against his former team. Khristian Ibarrola
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