The Houston Rockets have suspended first-round pick Royce White

[brantonli]

I don't see any chance of this being resolved this season at all. There is no way the Rockets can integrate White into the team without some serious chemistry issues (the rotation being set quite well, arrangements can't just be set up suddenly) plus the Rockets need to focus on making the playoffs, not on distractions like White. I see the Rockets basically saying to White 'get your act together and come back next season'.

[andremiller07]

If he gets his mind right he can be as valuable to the Rockets as anyone not named Harden imo. Keeping with the Harden theme, Royce needs to Harden the **** up and do a bit of time in the D-Leauge and earn his way into the NBA where his talents could shine the man's skills/basketball IQ cannot be questioned.

As far as this flying thing surely there is some medication they can give him while hes on the plane.

[Jyap9675]

Lol this NBA draft net article about him was pretty spot on.

http://nbadraft.net/players/royce-white

NBA Comparison: Anthony Mason/Boris Diaw

Was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in high school, which could lead to any number of problems at the next level and has been mentioned as a major cause for concern by a number of scouts. He has had trouble flying and a report surfaced that he chose to go to Iowa State and not Baylor because he didn't want to fly there. ...

Overall: White is a high risk/high reward prospect if there ever was one ... His development will have to be handled very carefully by whichever team drafts him ... If he's selected by a team that is willing to both be patient and let him play to his strengths, then he very well could be the steal of the draft ...

Well there you go, Rockets GM deserves this for taking a risky player. They were probably thinking that $3 million is probably a good investment, and the rewards will significantly outweigh the investment in the long term.

[bagelred]

I don't understand.

Why doesn't Royce White just play home games for now and not travel on road games? At least Rockets would have him for half the games, and maybe would help Royce get more comfortable with team and help overcome his anxieties.

Not perfect, but if he's on roster anyway....just show up for home games. Better than nothing. I don't get it.

[Blue&Orange]

My statement isn't in support of Royce and his behavior so 2/3rds of this post are not really something i'm responding to. But to the relevant part, I always love how people who don't really know what it's like to suffer with an anxiety disorder always say "everyone has problems, deal with it." When the problems are finances, relationships, family issues, those are things you "just deal with." When your issues are intense fear which cause physical symptoms within your body that feel so intense you have trouble walking out your own front door, there's not really a comparison to that. Maybe someone who's been held at gun point, just imagine having that type of reaction for no apparent cause without having a gun present.

But as for the other stuff you said I agree. Dude needs a new career he obviously isn't in the right position to be able to handle this one.

Anxiety problems aren't that uncommon, even if incidental, a lot of people had them.

Royce doctor just found his cash cow.

[C-Webb4]

This has been said before but the worst part of it is, he came into the league basically saying he would be an advocate and a voice for the mental health community. Instead, thus far he's been a total head case (unrelated to anxiety) and the whole world is watching him. So the next time someone with an anxiety disorder comes along and wants to make it to the NBA a GM and coaching staff may be like "hmmm, Player X has talent but remember what happened with that Royce White guy? Maybe we shouldn't take our chances." He has had the total opposite affect of what he claimed to be trying to do and I for one am very disappointed.

[C-Webb4]

Anxiety problems aren't that uncommon, even if incidental, a lot of people had them.

Royce doctor just found his cash cow.

Nor is it uncommon for a lot of those people to go through their lives highly sedated on some strong ass meds. A lot of people don't just push through it. You may see them at work, but not really know how they suffer in their day to day. They work because unlike in Royce's case, you actually have no choice because regular people don't get paid to whine on twitter.

[JerryWest]

Kick that piece of shit out of the league!

[brantonli]

Imagine an office worker who comes in as a fresh graduate from a top uni, sits down the first day and demands that he is given different circumstances than from the rest of his graduate class. Not only that, he refuses to work unless completely approved by his doctors.

You'd fire his ass within 10 seconds.

[C-Webb4]

Imagine an office worker who comes in as a fresh graduate from a top uni, sits down the first day and demands that he is given different circumstances than from the rest of his graduate class. Not only that, he refuses to work unless completely approved by his doctors.

You'd fire his ass within 10 seconds.

Yeah, the real world isn't as kind as the Rockets have been in all honesty. I confided in a co-worker about mine privately and it somehow made it's way to my boss. Suddenly within a week of him finding out, I got fired/replaced. Supposedly unrelated (of course they're gonna say that) but everything was perfectly good before that. And that was without making any demands. If prior to even coming to work I told them I have anxiety and gave them a list of demands they must follow for me to report to them they'd fire my ass on the spot.

[brantonli]

Yeah, the real world isn't as kind as the Rockets have been in all honesty. I confided in a co-worker about mine privately and it somehow made it's way to my boss. Suddenly within a week of him finding out, I got fired/replaced. Supposedly unrelated (of course they're gonna say that) but everything was perfectly good before that. And that was without making any demands. If prior to even coming to work I told them I have anxiety and gave them a list of demands they must follow for me to report to them they'd fire my ass on the spot.

Oh man that really sucks to hear. Did you manage to find another job afterwards though?

[C-Webb4]

Oh man that really sucks to hear. Did you manage to find another job afterwards though?

Yeah I did, and I had considered pursuing legal action against them, but for one it's something that would've been extremely difficult to prove and then it wasn't a job that was paying me all that much anyways so I figured it wouldn't be worth it.

[Blue&Orange]

Yeah, the real world isn't as kind as the Rockets have been in all honesty. I confided in a co-worker about mine privately and it somehow made it's way to my boss. Suddenly within a week of him finding out, I got fired/replaced. Supposedly unrelated (of course they're gonna say that) but everything was perfectly good before that. And that was without making any demands. If prior to even coming to work I told them I have anxiety and gave them a list of demands they must follow for me to report to them they'd fire my ass on the spot.

Sorry to hear. Do you have twitter? maybe you could share your story with him.

Hell someone should link this thread on his twitter.

[C-Webb4]

Sorry to hear. Do you have twitter? maybe you could share your story with him.

Hell someone should link this thread on his twitter.

That'd be awesome if he would actually read it.

[lilbeastnani]

According to a person familiar with the situation, White wants the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association, the Rockets and himself to sign a document detailing his wishes for the mental health protocol, and White has told the Rockets he won't show up for work until all parties sign the document.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the document was supposed to remain confidential. The person added that such agreements are banned under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

According to the uniform player contract detailed in the CBA, "no amendments to the form of the Uniform Player Contract provided for by Section 1 of this Article shall be permitted," and if a team or player agree on such an amendment, "such Contract or subsequent amendment, as the case may be, shall be disapproved by the Commissioner, and consequently, rendered null and void."
While the Rockets mostly have been quiet about the situation, White has not. He has been outspoken on Twitter and in his statement -- a passionate and eloquent defender of mental health at times. He has alienated his employer and fans with his approach at other times.

Is he, and the 3 million they're paying him over the next 2 seasons really so important to them that they will keep coddling him even while he openly talks shit about them on twitter and refuses to do anything he's asked to do? This is a billion dollar industry we're talking about it. It will continue to be whether Royce White ever plays a game in it or not. It's a dream job that millions of hopefuls each year would do anything to be able to play in, and here he is collecting paychecks and sitting on his ass talking about protocol. I don't feel sorry for this dude anymore. His 15 minutes are over.