Where Is Derrick Rose? New York Knicks Guard Surrounded By Questions After Leaving The Team For Personal Reasons

RTX2X3XO (1) — Knicks point guard Derrick Rose left the team Monday and didn't notify anyone of his whereabouts until later that night. Reuters

After nearly 24 hours of confusion and worry, New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has reportedly rejoined the team after mysteriously failing to show up for Monday’s eventual loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden.

Rose, who was acquired by the Knicks in a trade last summer from the Chicago Bulls, told reporters Tuesday that he went to Chicago to be with his mother, ESPN reported. Rose was born and raised in Chicago, starring at Simeon Career Academy and becoming one of the best prospects in the country.

The team has since fined Rose and he said he had apologized to teammates for missing the game, as well as to Knicks general manager Steve Mills and president Phil Jackson.

The apology and excuse for suddenly leaving was reportedly accepted, but it doesn’t quite explain the situation or why it even occurred. Rose didn’t contact the Knicks about his whereabouts until late Monday.

Initially, Rose did take part in Monday’s shootaround before the matchup with the Pelicans, but later in the day and before tip-off he couldn’t be found. The Knicks issued an announcement saying Rose wouldn’t be available for the game but provided no details.

Later teammates like Joakim Noah, who’s played with Rose since 2008 while they were members of the Bulls, said he had spoken to Rose and that he was “ok,” but didn’t want to elaborate further.

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said after the game that “everything will become clear later on.”

The reports, coupled with Rose’s comments, suggest his sudden absence was due to a personal family matter, but it also could’ve been about playing time.

Rose was benched for the fourth quarter in New York’s two most recent games before facing New Orleans – at Milwaukee and at Indiana – and was reportedly frustrated.

A report from SNY also indicates that Rose and Hornacek had some sort of “major blowout” after the loss to Indiana. The Knicks have lost eight of their last nine games with defense and team chemistry considered lingering issues.