Derrick Rose has issued an apology for comments he made during a media session earlier today, in which he said his doubters should kill themselves.
Speaking with reporters about the firing of coach Tom Thibodeau and if it would negatively effect his play on the court, Rose said, "I have a lot of confidence in myself. Thibs was just the coach that believed in me. He jump-started my career again and for that I'll always be thankful, but for everybody that think that it's going to stop, kill yourself."
He added, "Like I said, for everybody that think I'm not going to play the same way, kill yourself, because I believe in myself."
Naturally, Rose's unfiltered remarks quickly made the round on social media. Less than an hour after they were posted, the 30-year old point guard issued the following statement:
"I messed up by using the slang term “kill yourself” today in response to a question about whether I can continue to perform without coach Thibs. I did not mean it literally and regret using it so I apologize."
The Timberwolves fired Thibodeau on Sunday, following the team's 22-point victory against the Los Angeles Lakers. To date, the Timberwolves are 19-21, which is 11th best in the Western Conference.
Rose, 30, is currently averaging 18.9 points per game this season and is among the leading All-Star vote-getters. After the first return of fan votes last week, D-Rose ranked sixth, trailing only LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard.