Derrick Rose is at a crossroads in his basketball career and one of the biggest moments in what could be a make-or-break year for the former NBA MVP didn't happen on the court. It happened in a court.

Rose was vindicated Wednesday in a $21.5 million lawsuit that accused him and two friends of raping an ex-girlfriend when she was incapacitated from drugs or alcohol.

The reticent Rose, who remained stoic most of the trial including during his testimony about intimate sex acts, smiled outside court, thanked jurors and put his arm around some who posed for photos with the hoops star.

"I am thankful that the jury understood and agreed with me," Rose said in a statement. "I am ready to put this behind me and focus on my family and career."

Jurors in Los Angeles federal court had sat through graphic testimony with somber expressions, but it took them less than four hours to conclude there was a lack of evidence to support the woman's claims and dismiss her account as unbelievable.