Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose flashes the sign in photo taken when he was still at the University of Memphis. According to the issued defense, the photo of Derrick Rose flashing a gang sign was not planned to be disturbing but was just a silly joke. Derrick Rose was the number 1 pick in the NBA draft of 2008.
In the photo, Derrick Rose and a friend are shown flashing a gang sign with gigantic smiles on their faces. No one knows how old it is and why he is throwing up signs. And really, it is not terribly surprising that something like this would happen.
In Chicago, there is a very big gang structure mostly on the South Side where Rose grew up. These areas are a hotbed of gang activity so that kind of thing happens .But it is also a situation of his background that Rose would be connected at all with this kind of thing. It is daunting and dangerous that Rose could at all be beholden to Chicago gangs, if it’s true. But it is also a fact of his life that he really did not have much choice.
Derrick Rose released a declaration denying any involvement in a gang:
“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.”
Derrick Rose’s confession for Gang Sign Photos:
“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. I pride myself on being a good citizen, and role model, that young people can look up to and I want to urge all my young fans to stay away from gangs and gang-related activities.”
