Derrick Rose Cleared in Civil Rape Case

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An eight member Los Angeles jury has ruled that Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and two friends, Randall Hampton and Ryan Allen, are not liable in a civil case alleging a 2013 gang rape of Rose’s ex-girlfriend.

The jury deliberated Wednesday morning. The accuser, whose identity has been kept confidential, filed the suit last summer. She alleged that Rose and his two friends gang-raped her after she passed out from drugs and alcohol in her Los Angeles home. She sought $21 million in damages.

Rose has maintained his innocence, calling the sexual encounters the three men had with the woman as consensual. The week-long trial turned contentious the last few days with Rose’s attorneys calling for a mistrial over allegations the accuser’s legal team withheld relevant texts the accuser sent to Rose on the night of the incident.

On Tuesday, the Rose’s defense team characterized the accuser as a woman driven by revenge and money. The accuser’s team countered by calling their client a “classic” victim of gang rape.

Rose has missed three pre-season games due to the trial, including tonight’s contest in Boston against the Celtics. He is scheduled to rejoin the team by Friday.

At press time, the Los Angeles police department is still conducting a criminal investigation .

This was pretty much a foregone conclusion for anyone that’s followed the trial. The accuser’s credibility was picked apart over the discovered text messages to Rose, and the testimony of her old roommate that claimed the accuser was out for money.

I would stop short of calling this a “win” since D-Rose’s sexual escapades are now public record. But it’s a damn sure a relief for Knicks fans hoping to have a fully healthy and focused squad to start the season.

[Video] Tearful Carmelo Anthony Wins 3rd Gold Medal, Calls for Unity in U.S.

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After 12 years, Carmelo Anthony’s Olympic journey has come to an end. Team USA scored a lopsided 96-66 victory over Serbia, making Anthony the first U.S. player to win three gold medals. The Knicks player also put his stamp in U.S. Olympic history by becoming the all-time leader in points and rebounding.

“I know this is the end. This is it for me, this is it for me. I committed to something….” Anthony told NBC Sports before trailing off to gather his thoughts. “I committed to this in (2004). I’ve seen the worst and I’ve seen the best and I stuck with it, we stuck with it. And I’m here today, three gold medals later.”

Recent weeks have seen the spotlight on Melo’s off the court social activism, including his comments on police brutality and prison reform. He used his post-game interview to allude to the importance social and political unity.

“Despite everything that’s going on right now in our country, we got to be united,” Anthony stressed. “America will be great again, I believe that. We got a lot of work to do, but one step at a time. I’m glad we represented it in the fashion that we did.”

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Melo has come a long way from the cornrows days in Denver. While most people have been stressing health, I think mentality is equally important for Melo, D-Rose and Noah this upcoming season. The emotional high of this win as the team’s senior player should give Melo the extra confidence needed to lead the Knicks to a successful season.

Stephen A. Smith Apologizes to Carmelo Anthony Over “No Rings” Criticism

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Last week on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A Smith absolutely ripped Carmelo Anthony for an article where the Knicks star stated he’d still be proud if he finished his career with no rings.

Anthony, who’s still competing for Team USA in Rio, was furious with Smith and made his feelings known on Instagram. Sometime over the last two days, the two spoke over the phone and Anthony made it clear his comments were misinterepeted. In addition, Anthony took Smith to task for lashing out in public before speaking with him personally.

You can see Smith’s full apology below. Hey Stephen A, you don’t want to make an enemy out of Melo.

https://youtu.be/eERRbw-kpc0

[Video] Carmelo Anthony Becomes Team USA’s All-Time Leading Scorer in Win Over Australia

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Carmelo Anthony etched his name in Olympic history by becoming international basketball’s all-time leading scorer  for a 98-88 win over Australia yesterday. Team USA was down at halftime but rallied behind Anthony’s 26 points (14 in the fourth quarter) and a scorching 9-15 from three-point range.

Anthony passed LeBron James with 293 points and is poised to become the only player to win three Olympic gold medals. Save some of that fire for the upcoming season, Melo.

https://youtu.be/oLj0tXfJXYM

[Live Stream] Amar’e Stoudemire’s Knicks Press Conference on NBA Retirement and Future Plans

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Watch the live stream of Amar’e Stoudemire’s NYC press conference on his NBA retirement signing as a New York Knick and rumored plan to play for Israel as a member of the Hapoel Jerusalem.

[Video] He’s Baaaack: Knicks Reup Sasha Vujacic on 1-Year Deal

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We can all finally exhale. The key to the Knicks franchise is back with today’s announcement that Sasha Vujacic has agreed to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum!

Okay, stop rolling your eyes and sucking your teeth. The reason Sasha drew so much hate early last season was due to being forced into a role bound for failure. Even at his best, it was a stretch to have him as your starting shooting guard. Because of Arron Afflalo’s hamstring injury, the Knicks had little choice. Paired with Jose Calderon, the duo was horrific on both ends of the floor and were arguably the worst starting backcourt in the league.

Following the All-Star Break, we got a better idea of Vujacic’s usefulness. In spot minutes he proved effective as an annoying, pesky defender and spot-up three-point shooting (45% over the season’s second half). Then rookie Kristaps Porzingis cited him as a valuable mentor. And with the addition of more Euros (Hernangomez, Kuzmiskas), Vujacic might be what the doctor ordered by bridging the cultural gap with the rest of the squad.

Is Sasha a legit SG backup for Courtney Lee? Absolutely not — but for additional bench depth, this is acceptable. And who knows, maybe Sasha will turn into a crowd favorite if he becomes the “human cigar” inserted during blowouts. For now, let’s feast on some of Sasha’s memorable moments from last season.

https://youtu.be/mBkZXu-uais

[Video] Meet the Newest Knick Mindaugas Kuzminskas

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Who??? Don’t feel bad — I’m willing to bet 99% of Knicks fans had no idea who this Lithuanian small forward was before the Knicks announced their deal earlier this week. Although the financial details have yet to be disclosed, the Knicks brass apparently really wanted Kuzminskas and went as far as securing a high-figure buyout from his Turkish team.

So how can he help this team? At 6’9, he adds depth at small forward and appears to have a game predicated on getting to the basket. In recent years, the Knicks have been relegated to a jump-shooting team due to poor athleticism. Kuzminskas looks to be a guy that finishes well on breaks and offers a bench spark.

The highlights left me with one main concern — does this guy have a jumper? The clips were heavy on dunks and layups, but I’m happy to report Kuzminskas has offensive versatility to his game. According to Synergy Sports Tech, Kuzminskas had a FG% on 74% in transition, 58% on spot-up jumpers, and 53% in the post last season.

If his game translates well to the NBA, don’t be surprised to see him turn into a quick Garden favorite.

3-and-D! Knicks Sign Courtney Lee to 4 Year, $48 Million Deal

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The starting lineup is complete. Eight year guard Courtney Lee has signed four year, $48 million contract with the New York Knicks.

Word broke earlier this weekend about the Knicks’ offer. A confidential source told ESPN that Lee mulled the offer before speaking with the team’s othrt new signee — Joakim Noah.

[It] would not have happened without Joakim Noah. Courtney understands what playing for the New York Knicks means. He wanted to play in New York and Joakim Noah was instrumental recruiting him. Would not have happened without Joakim. Courtney couldn’t be more excited.

Lee started last season with the Memphsi Grizzlies before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He played in 79 games (started 65), averaging 9.5 points (45% FG, 38% 3P%), 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

This could be our sleeper free agent signing of the summer. With D-Rose’s penetration ability and the double teams that will come Melo and (to a lesser extent) Porzingis’ way, Lee will be get a lot of open looks from three-point range. Another plus is Lee’s playoff experience (including a Finals trip with Orlando in 2009) means he’s not one to shy away from the big shot.

But even more important than Lee’s offense is his ability to shut down opposing players. Too often in recent years, the Knicks have gotten killed on the perimeter due to our slow guards. Lee, as recently as this year’s playoffs, showed how underrated and important his defense can be in the fourth quarter.

And Lee is not injury prone! If our starting five stays healthy, I like our chances to make noise in 2017. Now let’s hop Phil can work some magic filling out this bench.

 

 

[Photo] Welcome Home – Joakim Noah Confirms Knicks Deal on IG

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Joakim Noah is coming home. The New York native and career Chicago Bull confirmed his new deal with the New York Knicks by posting the above picture on Instagram.

Noah’s contract is a four year deal totaling $70-72 million.

Noah had his best year in 2014 when he won Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Noah is coming off an injury plagued 2016 season where he played 29 games and struggled to find a role under new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg. He posted a career low scoring average (4 points).

Yesterday, I was very leering on the Knicks paying $18 million a year for Noah, especially with the horrible season he had last year. But today (July 1), I had a chance to look at the ridiculous deals a lot of players have gotten already in this free agency process. From that perspective, Noah’s deal isn’t that bad at all. Now, this could certainly be a disaster if Noah can’t stay healthy. But if he’s reinvigorated in his hometown, his passing and defense paired with Porzingis and Melo’s scoring gives us a tremendous frontcourt presence.

 

[Video] Derrick Rose Tells Bulls “Thank You” for Trade, Wants to Finish Career in NY

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Derrick Rose met the New York media for the first time today and officially began his tenure as a New York Knick. True to his personality, Rose was very candid about his thoughts on the trade and want he plans to accomplish going forward.

“I hope I can play the rest of my career here, but I understand this is a business,” said Rose, who’s in the last year of his contract. “We’ll see how this one year goes, but I’m putting my all into this. I’ve been working my butt off.”

Undoubtedly, the comment that will get the most airtime is Rose’s thoughts on why the Bulls traded him.

You can watch the full media day below.

https://youtu.be/bc7ojvX1gvo