Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has had a really bad last few weeks.  Now comes a photo of Rose flashing gang signs while he was still in college at Memphis.  Unlike his earlier troubles last month, Rose was quick to issue a statement distancing himself from his gesture and claiming it was a joke gone wrong.

Derrick Rose’s Statement Regarding Flashing Gang Signs in Photo

Recently, a photo has been circulating on the Internet which appears to depict me flashing a gang sign.

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.

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.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the sign Rose flashed is for The Gangster Disciples gang that is heavily rooted in Rose’s Englewood hood in Chicago.

The Gangster Disciples, a large criminal organization with tens of thousands of members, are deeply involved in Chicago’s violent narcotics trade. Gangster Disciples long have been the predominant gang in the Englewood neighborhood.

Former Memphis teammate and potential 2009 NBA Draft pick Antonio Anderson can clearly be seen behind Rose flashing up gang signs as well.

Earlier this month, it was released that Rose was the reason his college team, the University of Memphis, currently finds itself in hot water with the NCAA, over Rose’s alleged cheating on the SAT admission test.