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Around the League => Around the NBA => Topic started by: TA9 on January 06, 2013, 02:07:38 PM

Title: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: TA9 on January 06, 2013, 02:07:38 PM
Well the title says it all:
Quote
The Houston Rockets have suspended first-round pick Royce White for "refusing to provide services" required by his contract. General manager Daryl Morey said Sunday that the team will continue to work with White in hopes of finding a resolution

Uniform player contract includes services player is expected to provide. Breach of contract may include fines/suspensions.

Jonathan Feigen: This suspension does not come as a surprise to White. Morey has been in talks with him all week, unable to break the impasse.

Here is what Royce had to say about the incident:
Quote
Royce White: Threat, Fines, Suspension won't deter me. I won't accept illogical health decisions, I will keep asking for safety & health. #BeWell @Daryl Morey

This is just disrespectful. I could understand him in the beginning, but this is just pathetic. Im sorry for the future basketball players that suffers from the same illness as Royce does. Royce has probably destroyed all their chances to make it into the league now, cant imagine someone to gamble on a kid with Anxiety because of Royce.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Who on January 06, 2013, 02:09:41 PM
Seems like an overdue decision. I wonder why they waited so long.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: cltc5 on January 06, 2013, 02:12:05 PM
Good grief did we ever dodge a bullet.  He was high on my list too.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: GreenFaith1819 on January 06, 2013, 02:17:50 PM
At this point I wonder if Royce White is truly trying to combat his illness?

I am no doctor by any stretch, but for him - is he doing his ABSOLUTE BEST to help himself, here?

Can he honestly say that he is doing his absolute best?

Or - CAN HE help himself?

I wish the best for him, though. Just a sad situation.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: BudweiserCeltic on January 06, 2013, 02:20:44 PM
Seems like an overdue decision. I wonder why they waited so long.

I'm pretty sure that they were covering their assess if White decides to sue or something.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: TA9 on January 06, 2013, 02:21:09 PM
At this pointI wonder if Royce White is truly trying to combat his illness?

I am no doctor by any stretch, but for him - is he doing his ABSOLUTE BEST to help himself, here?

Can he honestly say that he is doing his absolute best?

Or - CAN HE help himself?

I wish the best for him, though. Just a sad situation.
Good question.
Honestly to me it just feels like he doesnt even wants to play basketball, which is just sad to see, given that he has made it thus far. This problem has just blown out of proportions. Im glad that we didnt pick him in the draft.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 02:31:50 PM
I'm pretty sure Royce is deluding himself. He actually thinks either he'll get everything he wants and get to play for the Rockets or traded to a different team and they'll give him everything. I highly doubt he plans to get a job with his three years of Iowa State education.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Fafnir on January 06, 2013, 02:34:26 PM
Seems like an overdue decision. I wonder why they waited so long.

I'm pretty sure that they were covering their assess if White decides to sue or something.
Yeah probably making sure they had all of their ducks in a row for a lawsuit that seems almost certain to come from Rocye's representatives.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: GreenFaith1819 on January 06, 2013, 02:42:28 PM
Again - I'm no doctor, but I wonder if Royce White is perhaps looking around himself at OTHER's struggles.

We all are going through stuff....I wonder if he has perhaps looked at his own coaches' heartache?

Sometimes, seeing others go through things places our own struggles in perspective.

With HOU playing as well as they are without him, I'm sure if he was available to help that team - he would.

Royce White's talent, to me - is undeniable. He could help them RIGHT NOW - I'm sure of it.

it just seems as if the situation has regressed, sadly...I thought he was turning the corner, here....wasn't he reportedly helping others with his condition prior to him being drafted?

Why is he at the point he is at now?
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Celtics18 on January 06, 2013, 02:53:02 PM
I still feel bad for the kid.  I was high on him on draft day.  His unique abilities could have been really cool on an NBA level.

Unfortunately, crazy people do crazy things.  That's a part of being crazy.  I hope he can get his issues in check some day and end up playing basketball for a living.

I'm still rooting for that. 
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: pp34isthe1 on January 06, 2013, 03:05:52 PM
The situation is unbelieveable. His tweets seem almost desigened to convince himself he is doing the right thing.

Physically, he could flourish with the Rockets. Mentally he isnt cut out for the NBA. After all I am reading, I dont think the guy is cut out for McDonalds.

Celtics18 is right, crazy people are called crazy for a reason. I followed Royce on Twitter for the entertainment but soon unfollowed because I could not believe some of the BS. The guy is getting paid millions to ride the bench until he proves his worth or play in the D league where he could have minutes and dominate. I just wont ever understand.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: GreenFaith1819 on January 06, 2013, 03:09:17 PM
Royce White - I'm sure you don't read CelticBlog, but if you do - please revisit this article that quoted you several times:

http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/personal-stories/royce-white

Quote
“I want people to see that you can deal with your disorder and chase your dreams.”

Quote
......But White found he couldn’t stay away from the game. At Iowa State University, he led his team to their first NCAA tournament in seven years and was considered a top ten prospect for the 2012 NBA Draft. Twelve teams considered his anxiety disorder too great a liability. The Houston Rockets selected him and agreed to pay for his travel by RV to some games; even so, his NBA career has not taken a smooth road.

Showing Strength and Courage
Royce White is not quiet about his disorder. Drawing on his personal strength and courage, he is a vocal advocate for mental health. “I want people to see that you can deal with your disorder and chase your dreams.” He lists raising awareness for mental illness and ending the stigma that surrounds it among his life goals.

About his disorder, he says, “It’s bigger than me. My speaking about anxiety is something that wasn’t about me, never intended to be about me. It was intended to help others.” By sharing his story, Royce White is doing just that, hoping to inspire people who are struggling with anxiety disorders.

Royce White NEEDS BASKETBALL....I'm wishing him the best through his struggles.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: SHAQATTACK on January 06, 2013, 03:35:57 PM
I don't know what he expects...he is hired to play ball ....not to sit home and complain pout and act like a 6 year old who won't go to school.

The ROckets are business and professional team that plays to earn a living , not a charity , not a baby sitting service. Nor are they in the mental health business .

If he had been playing and giving to the NBA or a team for years , then I can see going out your way to help.

YOu can't take up space on the roster with a person who is physical good health , but mentally not able to function well enough to play baskeball. Its not like they are asking him to go to MARS or moon.  Just get on a bus /plane getyour game together. Anyone incapaible of this should just hang it up. 

He is giving them NOTHING, ZIP , nada for their efforts. He needs to check into a mental hospital , not an NBA locker room. 

Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: jackson_34 on January 06, 2013, 03:40:58 PM
Unfortunately it seems to be an impasse that will be near to impossible to resolve.

From what I've read, Royce is arguing that medical decisions should be decided by the medical staff, not the team management. Ultimately while I'm sure the Rockets have been extremely considerate in this medical advice, I don't think any business would completely relegate themselves to decisions that affect the business.

It seems that the advice Royce has received from the doctors (unsure if this is his preferred doctor or the team staff) is that consistent playing time with the Rockets would provide him with some structure that will settle anxiety issues. Of course, I'm sure the Rockets cannot guarantee (consistent) playing time for a rookie who has yet to play a game and not practiced in 1.5 months.

His refusal to play in the D-league affiliate is frustrating, but I can see that from his perspective it would seem somewhat logical as it is essentially removing him from a schedule he envisaged with the Rockets.

It's a shame he has had to take to twitter to voice his perspective (it's what frustrates me most about this situation), the Rockets are certainly not going to comment on the steps they have taken with Royce for legal reasons. Essentially all social media is doing for Royce is making him seem more and more irrational as he tries to contend with mud-slinging directed at him (whether malicious or not) and no official Rockets perspective to compare to.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 03:42:45 PM
The only part I read that made any sense was when he said "Let's face it. The NBA is about money and I want to put my health first". Bingo. Give the man a prize. The nba is about money. It's not apparently healthy to play basketball 9 months a year. Could it be...just maybe...that's why you get paid so much and access to the best medical care? Because of the money?   What does he think any other job is about?

Did he think basketball at Iowa State was about his health?
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Yoki_IsTheName on January 06, 2013, 03:43:59 PM
I don't understand this at all. ROyce White is becoming pathetic. I feel sorry for his illness, but it seems like he's not doing anything at all to make progress.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 03:46:19 PM
If I were the Rockets I'd just suit him up and put him in a game. Winning solves problems. Let him experience happiness again. Cause this is going nowhere good. They'd risk alienating guys like Demo but those guys are under contract too.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: kozlodoev on January 06, 2013, 04:09:18 PM
If I were the Rockets I'd just suit him up and put him in a game. Winning solves problems. Let him experience happiness again. Cause this is going nowhere good. They'd risk alienating guys like Demo but those guys are under contract too.
Because that's exactly the message you want to send: being a nuisance an disruption will land you in the game lineup. Really.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 04:12:24 PM
If I were the Rockets I'd just suit him up and put him in a game. Winning solves problems. Let him experience happiness again. Cause this is going nowhere good. They'd risk alienating guys like Demo but those guys are under contract too.
Because that's exactly the message you want to send: being a nuisance an disruption will land you in the game lineup. Really.
I'd just rather do that then lose a 16th pick.  Royce needs to see what's at stake
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: kozlodoev on January 06, 2013, 04:20:32 PM
If I were the Rockets I'd just suit him up and put him in a game. Winning solves problems. Let him experience happiness again. Cause this is going nowhere good. They'd risk alienating guys like Demo but those guys are under contract too.
Because that's exactly the message you want to send: being a nuisance an disruption will land you in the game lineup. Really.
I'd just rather do that then lose a 16th pick.  Royce needs to see what's at stake
If he doesn't realize what's at stake, it's already lost. They rolled the dice, it didn't work. Move on, I guess.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: nickagneta on January 06, 2013, 04:33:02 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 04:38:10 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.
Does this mean we can't like the Gnarles Barkley song anymore?
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: nickagneta on January 06, 2013, 04:51:16 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.
Does this mean we can't like the Gnarles Barkley song anymore?
Absolutely not cause that song rocks.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Neurotic Guy on January 06, 2013, 05:14:49 PM
I don't understand this at all. ROyce White is becoming pathetic. I feel sorry for his illness, but it seems like he's not doing anything at all to make progress.

What 'seems' and what 'is' is often 2 different things. I understand that on its surface this appears to be a young man who is deciding not to comply. But that doesn't speak to what efforts he may be making or how different his challenge is compared to other young players.

It is probable that we don't know much about what is going on with Royce White.  Conclusions based on minimal info is the lifeblood of talk-shows and blogs. Of course, sometimes conclusions drawn from minimal info are correct, but I think we should acknowledge at various points that we don't really know very much about this person. 

Unusual behavior isn't always as simple as it seems. If White's issues stem from faulty (or obsessive) thinking and subsequent emotional issues that stem from mental illness, we may not want him on our team, but we may have greater understanding of why he behaves the way he does.   
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 06:20:25 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.
Does this mean we can't like the Gnarles Barkley song anymore?
Absolutely not cause that song rocks.
Oh good, because if you said we couldn't like it I'd have said that I think you're crazy.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 06:43:53 PM
I would like to see this addendum , he has been trying to add to his original contract. IF rumors are true

1. If he needs the Rockets to sign this addendum (mainly regarding promise for him to take the bus as much as possible, plus having the right to see doctors of his choice for treatment purposes) but the Rockets won't sign, then i question why the Rockets won't make their promise(s) to him official and ease his mind, so that he can focus on basketball.

2. If the Rockets can't sign because it violates the CBA, then it involves the NBA/Union. He is asking for rights to ease his mental health condition, but the league can't give it to him the way he needs it to happen. So i can understand where he is coming from, that his rights and other players who have mental issues can't comfortable have ways to be it managed/treated. He doesn't care about rules/agreements vs putting basic "rights" first.

3. This "right(s)" he is talking about, doesn't seem unreasonable to me. If he wants to deal with riding the bus as much as he can, but still plays hard and well, then whats the problem? If he wants to see the doctor of his choice because of a certain comfort/relationship that he has with them, then whats the problem??

4. The league already having a CBA in place , and nightmare memories to iron out a deal last season, probably does not want to meet the union anytime soon to try to include an exception clause for players like Royce White. Maybe they don't want players to use doctors outside of the nba because they are not sure how certified or personal relationships that they have with the players that could result in in bias diagnosis and preferable treatments. Also if Royce fights and wins to have a special clause added to the cba, then how do you determine what becomes a special need vs not?? How many current players will come out and ask for special exceptions themselves??

Bottom line is, i think there is much more to this problem that meets the eye. Right now Royce White is enemy #1. I thought he was also, until i read about him just wanting an addendum needed signed before he does anything further. He wants the Rockets to fight for him also, but doesn't feel they are doing enough. I think if Royce white eventually gets indefinitely suspended or booted from his contract , than he will not go away quietly and take the nba/rockets to the court.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: pp34isthe1 on January 06, 2013, 06:49:40 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.

Dude chill.

I didn't call him crazy to insult his mental illness. I called him crazy because the of the way he approaches and handles issues.. He is single handily deterring other nba teams from drafting players with mental health issues. I'd call anyone showing this type of unprofessionalism "crazy". Especially when they are inked to a multi-million dollar contract. Publicly disrespecting your employer who writes your 5-6 figure checks, now that's crazy. Anyone who does that is crazy.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 06:56:52 PM
a couple of things here froma legal perspective.

There is a contract in place so Rockets do not have to sign an addendum. The parties rights will have to be determined by the contract in place. The Rockets do not have to modify the existing contract. If White's agent and lawyers did not get provisions in the contract to protect their client, that is on them.

Regardless of contractual terms, the Rockets will still have to abide by the ADA, therefore if the requested accomodations are reasonable, they deny these accomodations at their peril.

By keeping quiet the Rockets are doing the right thing because

1. They cannot discuss the employees health issues in public without his permission, especially so with mental health issues.

2. If he sues the Rockets and wins he probably only gets the value of his present contract, but if he is able to prove that the Rockets turned other teams against him, he may be able to get future loss of earning which may be enormous.

Rockets are doing the right thing for a very delicate situation.

Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 06:58:03 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.

Dude chill.

I didn't call him crazy to insult his mental illness. I called him crazy because the of the way he approaches and handles issues.. He is single handily deterring other nba teams from drafting players with mental health issues. I'd call anyone showing this type of unprofessionalism "crazy". Especially when they are inked to a multi-million dollar contract. Publicly disrespecting your employer who writes your 5-6 figure checks, now that's crazy. Anyone who does that is crazy.

You have to understand its not as simple as disrespecting your employer and crying, while losing millions.

He has an illness and anxiety. There is probably a higher level of assurance that he needs vs someone who doesn't have a condition.

Again, the addendum, what is it about? If its as easy as, i want to travel on the bus as much as possible and see my own doctor for treatments, than why doesn't the rockets just sign the document?? If it violates the CBA , will the nba/union do something about it?? 

Personally i don't think Royce White is crazy/dumb. If he doesn't play he will be working at a min wage job and kicking himself in the head for the rest of his life right?? There is no way he is going to do that. Human beings have a natural instinct to survive. If Whites contract gets nullified , he may lose 3 to 5 million dollars, but when he sues the nba/courts for tens of millions more, he maybe be the last one laughing.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 07:08:49 PM
a couple of things here froma legal perspective.

There is a contract in place so Rockets do not have to sign an addendum. The parties rights will have to be determined by the contract in place. The Rockets do not have to modify the existing contract. If White's agent and lawyers did not get provisions in the contract to protect their client, that is on them.

Regardless of contractual terms, the Rockets will still have to abide by the ADA, therefore if the requested accomodations are reasonable, they deny these accomodations at their peril.

By keeping quiet the Rockets are doing the right thing because

1. They cannot discuss the employees health issues in public without his permission, especially so with mental health issues.

2. If he sues the Rockets and wins he probably only gets the value of his present contract, but if he is able to prove that the Rockets turned other teams against him, he may be able to get future loss of earning which may be enormous.

Rockets are doing the right thing for a very delicate situation.

The courts may look into this and question to Royce/reps why they didn't have the conditions added in the first place before he signed the contract. Royce might response by saying the Rockets promised they will try to accommodate with his problems. This "promise" you see is very vague. And its not like Royce completely didn't try in the beginning, going to the summer leagues and travelling with the team during exhibition play. He mentioned thereafter he didn't feel , received the support he thought he was promised. Then wanted an addendum addedto his current contract.
For a judge, this matter will not be a black and white situation. It won't even be a there is a contract, too bad Royce situation. An average consumer can use a lawyer, sign a contract , breach it but still win at court. Contracts with millions of conditions, small prints , ambiguous  wordings ironically at times do not protect but rather attack you (especially if your a corp/org). Judges usually favor the underdog and mentally/physically handicapped also. I'd say Royce knows what he is doing.

The unfortunate thing is, if both Royce and Houston/NBA compromised, this problem wouldn't exist. So far its all or nothing and Royce won't be bullied and a great org like the NBA won't let a rookie tell them what to do
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 07:17:13 PM
Royce is not an underdog in this case, he had or should have had capable lawyers negotiating a million dollar contract for him.

I dont know that the Rockets made any promises to him, but I do know that the the ADA covers mental disabilites as well as physical. I doubt that the Rockets would promise anything more than the liberal ADA protections.

Bottom line is Rockets cannot wage this battle in the media so they may take some PR hits, I doubt that they lose in court because they are asking a BB player to play BB.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 07:29:20 PM
Royce is not an underdog in this case, he had or should have had capable lawyers negotiating a million dollar contract for him.

I dont know that the Rockets made any promises to him, but I do know that the the ADA covers mental disabilites as well as physical. I doubt that the Rockets would promise anything more than the liberal ADA protections.

Bottom line is Rockets cannot wage this battle in the media so they may take some PR hits, I doubt that they lose in court because they are asking a BB player to play BB.

I don't think this is on the rockets more than it is on the nba. White has recently come out to point fingers to the NBA

Again this is not as simple as asking a BB player to play BB. It is usually easy, but not when you deal with a guy like Royce White who needs assurances first.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 07:31:31 PM
what kind of assurances does he need?
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: nickagneta on January 06, 2013, 07:51:10 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.

Dude chill.

I didn't call him crazy to insult his mental illness. I called him crazy because the of the way he approaches and handles issues.. He is single handily deterring other nba teams from drafting players with mental health issues. I'd call anyone showing this type of unprofessionalism "crazy". Especially when they are inked to a multi-million dollar contract. Publicly disrespecting your employer who writes your 5-6 figure checks, now that's crazy. Anyone who does that is crazy.
First off, I am chill.

Don't like being told nicely to not insult people that are different, then don't be insulting to those people who are different. I thought it pretty obvious some were calling White crazy because he has an illness, you included.

Sorry, but I am not buying your revision of what you said. I have heard the whole "I didnt call him that because he is black. I called him that because of the way he was acting" b.s. a little too much in my lifetime.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 08:02:35 PM
what kind of assurances does he need?

He needs the travelling on the bus as much as possible and able to see his own doctor, in writing by the Rockets. This is my guess as to his main demands

The bus riding thing is already in place but i just think he is paranoid and wants it in writing. The seeing his own medical doctor, is probably something houston can't grant without violating the cba. I personally can't see what the big deal is. Let him see his own doctor, the end.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 08:07:42 PM
I cannot imagine that the cba requires the league or team to pick a players personal treating physician for a condition that is not work related. I am sure he can treat with his own physicians, but the team has a right to evaluation by a doctor of their  chosing to determine if he needs accomodation, otherwise how does the team evaluate his requests.

Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Eja117 on January 06, 2013, 08:20:41 PM
Can we please refrain from calling people with a mental illness crazy? The term is demeaning and insulting.

He has an anxiety issue. Whether he is acting in his best interests and Houston is pushing him to make unhealthy decisions or whether he is using his illness as a crutch to get traded somewhere he can get playing time or get released so he can go play for the team of his choice, is debatable.

But calling him crazy because he suffers from an illness is wrong. He might be manipulative, lazy, uninspired, unmotivated, disappointed in his employment situation or completely correct in fighting for his rights as his employer is expecting him to do things that are bad for his mental health. He could be any of those things.

So let's discuss that instead of just labeling him with a word that is a bit insulting to those with mental illness.

Dude chill.

I didn't call him crazy to insult his mental illness. I called him crazy because the of the way he approaches and handles issues.. He is single handily deterring other nba teams from drafting players with mental health issues. I'd call anyone showing this type of unprofessionalism "crazy". Especially when they are inked to a multi-million dollar contract. Publicly disrespecting your employer who writes your 5-6 figure checks, now that's crazy. Anyone who does that is crazy.
First off, I am chill.

Don't like being told nicely to not insult people that are different, then don't be insulting to those people who are different. I thought it pretty obvious some were calling White crazy because he has an illness, you included.

Sorry, but I am not buying your revision of what you said. I have heard the whole "I didnt call him that because he is black. I called him that because of the way he was acting" b.s. a little too much in my lifetime.
duh..you're supposed to say Mentally ill American. Or is it sanity challenged? Quick. Language Police. What is the non-b.s. label du jour?  Does anyone here have a degree in liberal arts?  Preferably from a school in the San Francisco or New York city area? Possibly Harvard. Hurry doctor. We don't have much time.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Lord of Mikawa on January 06, 2013, 08:39:55 PM
The Rockets seem to be fine without him. Waive the guy.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 08:39:59 PM
I cannot imagine that the cba requires the league or team to pick a players personal treating physician for a condition that is not work related. I am sure he can treat with his own physicians, but the team has a right to evaluation by a doctor of their  chosing to determine if he needs accomodation, otherwise how does the team evaluate his requests.

By using Royce's doctor of choice evaluation and report. If Royce has to miss practice bc the last flight back really took alot out of him, his doctor prob approve that. But the team doctor not really knowing his history might be all caring in front of Royce but to the front office tell them that he could actually practice. Royce could get fined then and benched for missing practice

I'm just guessing here as to why Royce rather see his doctor vs teams doctor.
 
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 09:33:44 PM
well Rockets cannot hand total control to Royce and his doctor the team has a right to have him evaluated by its own doctors.

Its just like any other situation you do not have the player's doctor performing pre-employment evaluations. Royce will not win this one, if that is the fight.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: hwangjini_1 on January 06, 2013, 10:00:34 PM
does anyone actually know exactly:

1. what houston has promised to do to accommodate white's condition?

2. what it is exactly that white is stating is unreasonable/unacceptable about what houston is promising? that is, it is a LACK of things, that the things offered are inadequate, or both?

unless we know these items, i am not sure how anyone can come down on one side or another in this tussle.

it does look as if the lawyers are about to take over the whole process. the implications for accommodations for workers could be huge.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: LooseCannon on January 06, 2013, 10:24:54 PM
Given how the Celtics had to recall Fab Melo in order to treat him for his concussion, I wonder whether or not Houston is allowed to properly deal with White and his condition to the satisfaction of the player and doctors if he is on assignment to the D-League.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Tr1boy on January 06, 2013, 11:20:16 PM
well Rockets cannot hand total control to Royce and his doctor the team has a right to have him evaluated by its own doctors.

Its just like any other situation you do not have the player's doctor performing pre-employment evaluations. Royce will not win this one, if that is the fight.

sorry but no. In all other cases having to do with injuries or something physical related a team doctor or non team doctor specialist can evaluate.

But i doubt they are specialist in dealing with mental disorders. And if they do have psychiatrists , how quick/accurately can they assess Whites condition at any given time. For mental health, having a history and relationship with your doctor is crucial.

Again this is a special situation where i can see both sides of the coin. Royce didn't have some of these minor issues in college because he was allowed to see and get treatment/evaluation from doctors of his choice
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Ogaju on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
Okay you are really starting to confuse me here.

There is no way the Houston Rockets can prevent Royce White from treating his mental illness with a doctor of his choice as long as he pays for the treatment. If you doubt that you need to go bone up on the US Constitution and a case called Rowe vs. Wade.

What the Rockets may have as an employer is the right to have White's diability prescriptions and requests for modified work, work restrictions, and work accomodations verified by an independent medical examiner.

I am about to be done with this thread unless you have concrete proof that the NBA or Rockets have told White he does not have the right to choose his own treating physicans.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: indeedproceed on January 06, 2013, 11:42:43 PM
I think the bigger issue is that the rockets aren't accepting White's doctors recs, and are going on what their own doctors are telling them.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: biggbird on January 06, 2013, 11:45:04 PM
I think you've more or less got the right of it Ogaju. From what I understand (of the vast amounts of rumours and talk swirling around), White wants to have his personal doctors make decisions as to his ability to play, travel etc. The way some people were phrasing it was as his doctors, rather than Rockets' medical staff or front office, having veto power over decisions which may affect White's health. If that is the case, I think we can all see why the Rockets will never (and should never) sign this proposed addendum.

As you said Ogaju, I doubt the Rockets could or would stop White from seeing his own personal doctors, but I also doubt they will let them have significant power over basketball related decisions which "may" affect White's health negatively.

But then, that may all also be rumour! Unfortunately, we really don't know a great deal about thr situation as of yet. Inevitably, the details will arise and our curiosity will be satisfied, but I doubt it will be in the very near future. Until then, we'll all keep speculating :p
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: jdz101 on January 06, 2013, 11:48:40 PM
The kid needs to get off twitter and stop posting things. All the abuse he is getting can't be helping his psyche.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: LooseCannon on January 07, 2013, 12:22:28 AM
I think the bigger issue is that the rockets aren't accepting White's doctors recs, and are going on what their own doctors are telling them.

On Twitter he wrote:

Again the @HoustonRockets management has gone against what THEIR OWN docs have declared & their own words. #Illogical

However, from Jonathan Feigen (http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/01/rockets-suspend-royce-white-one-week-after-he-refused-d-league-assignment/):

Quote
Though White has not publicly specified the conditions he would need to practice or play, he has indicated through his tweets he wants players to be able to choose the doctors who would then be given the authority to determine players’ work environment and expectations. If the Rockets agreed to that in writing, it would violate the CBA.

The Rockets have told White and his agent, Andrew Vye, that they want to work with him on a plan he can accept. They have maintained in conversations with White that they have worked with doctors who do not insist, as White has maintained in statements and on Twitter, that doctors should have authority to determine White’s work requirements.

I wonder if White and the team are hearing the same things from doctors but interpreting them differently.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: LooseCannon on January 07, 2013, 12:25:56 AM
The kid needs to get off twitter and stop posting things. All the abuse he is getting can't be helping his psyche.

He may be getting emotional support from others on Twitter who are positive.  Some of the supporters who he has re-tweeted:

AJ Jones ‏@justplainaj

@Highway_30 As someone who was forced to leave school because of severe OCD, I totally feel ya man. Keep fighting. #RoyceIsOurVoice

IzzyMad2 ‏@izzymad2

@Highway_30 Stay strong Royce. I’m a nba lifer fan. I’ve long suffered from anxiety. And I’m gay, which I’ve noticed many here who r against

Josh Gardner ‏@JGx630x503

@Highway_30 Royce… You are an inspiration to me.I deal with many of the same issues as an athlete, and it'd be great to talk to you 1on1
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: jdz101 on January 07, 2013, 12:48:39 AM
The kid needs to get off twitter and stop posting things. All the abuse he is getting can't be helping his psyche.

He may be getting emotional support from others on Twitter who are positive.  Some of the supporters who he has re-tweeted:

AJ Jones ‏@justplainaj

@Highway_30 As someone who was forced to leave school because of severe OCD, I totally feel ya man. Keep fighting. #RoyceIsOurVoice

IzzyMad2 ‏@izzymad2

@Highway_30 Stay strong Royce. I’m a nba lifer fan. I’ve long suffered from anxiety. And I’m gay, which I’ve noticed many here who r against

Josh Gardner ‏@JGx630x503

@Highway_30 Royce… You are an inspiration to me.I deal with many of the same issues as an athlete, and it'd be great to talk to you 1on1

Yeah but this is severely outnumbered by the negative stuff. I'm sure it's not helping.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Galeto on January 07, 2013, 12:57:01 AM
Well, if he's really stayed away from the Rockets because he won't compromise his own health, then taking him at his word, all these negative twitter responses must be good for him.  Because surely he wouldn't be engaging in something that is harmful to him.  Further, his own doctor must have condoned it because he's all about medical guidance. 

If he didn't have a history of shady and criminal behavior before all this and if he didn't try to downplay his anxiety issues before the draft when he was angling to get drafted as high as possible, I would be much more sympathetic towards him.  I don't understand why he has to treat it like a hostage situation.  Before training camp started and now, he's consistently negotiated away from the team like somehow they'll do all these mentally harmful things to him if he were to step inside their facilities. 
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: European NBA fan on January 07, 2013, 01:51:57 AM
I think the bigger issue is that the rockets aren't accepting White's doctors recs, and are going on what their own doctors are telling them.

On Twitter he wrote:

Again the @HoustonRockets management has gone against what THEIR OWN docs have declared & their own words. #Illogical

However, from Jonathan Feigen (http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/01/rockets-suspend-royce-white-one-week-after-he-refused-d-league-assignment/):

Quote
Though White has not publicly specified the conditions he would need to practice or play, he has indicated through his tweets he wants players to be able to choose the doctors who would then be given the authority to determine players’ work environment and expectations. If the Rockets agreed to that in writing, it would violate the CBA.

The Rockets have told White and his agent, Andrew Vye, that they want to work with him on a plan he can accept. They have maintained in conversations with White that they have worked with doctors who do not insist, as White has maintained in statements and on Twitter, that doctors should have authority to determine White’s work requirements.

I wonder if White and the team are hearing the same things from doctors but interpreting them differently.

I believe this is why White calls it a "protocol", but it's quite obvious, that you can't work around the CBA in this way. Maybe the CBA isn't fair when it comes to anxiety issues, but the Rockets really have no choice.

I assume that the Rockets' medical staff really don't mind bringing in actual experts on White's issues to help make the decisions, since that's standard in medical issues. On the other hand these outside doctors can't have the overall responsibility, since they are not in the organization.

I wonder if the solution could be some sort of medical committee with the player's doctors and the team medical staff, with the team staff in charge of the decisions, but sanctioned by people, whom the player trusts. I know it sounds complicated, but it could be a blueprint for balancing team and player interests in medical decisions.
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: pp34isthe1 on January 07, 2013, 03:15:13 AM
Interesting legal perspectives:

http://www.littler.com/publication-press/publication/fear-flying-addressing-employees-concerns-regarding-threat-terrorism-b

Quote
In some instances, including where an employee suffers from a stress-related disability involving the fear of flying, employers may in fact be required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) or corresponding state laws to consider an employee's reasonable request for accommodation, such as telecommuting or participating in meetings via teleconference. Under the ADA, an employer is required to provide a qualified individual with a disability with a reasonable accommodation if such accommodation will enable the employee to perform the essential functions of his/her job.

It is important to note, however, that employers are not required by law to eliminate an essential function of an employee's job, as such would not be "reasonable." Essential functions are those duties which are fundamental to the position in question and not merely marginal. An employee who is unwilling or unable to perform the essential functions of his/her job, with or without reasonable accommodation, is not protected by the ADA. Thus, if travel is an essential function of an employee's job, an employer would not legally be obligated to eliminate such duty, for that would not be a reasonable accommodation under the circumstances. Therefore, such an employee would not be protected under the ADA as a qualified individual with a disability because he or she cannot perform the essential functions of his or her position with ror without reasonable accommodation. Accordingly, an employer may simply have no other alternative but to terminate such employee's employment for refusing to fly.

And here's an actual case study on the situation http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2095190
Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Galeto on January 07, 2013, 05:23:41 AM


Royce's issues have gone way beyond flying, which the Rockets have accommodated from the start by providing him with a RV and a driver to take him to games that are feasible by land. 

He apparently wants a written "protocol" that gives his doctor extraordinary executive powers over his day to day obligations to the Rockets.  Even if the Rockets were amenable, they can't comply because it's illegal under the CBA.  If the Rockets end up voiding his contract, I don't know what leg he has to stand on.  What's he going to do?  Sue the NBAPA and the NBA League Office?

I can't believe this guy won't even show up for practices, film sessions, workouts, etc in the name of protecting his mental health.  What?  Why can he do the bare minimum it takes to be considered part of the Rockets' organization while continuing to work out an agreement with them 

This guy has a long history of lying.  I think he spouted another one of them in a recent interview when he said accumulated fines have eaten all his paychecks throughout his fight for mental health rights in the workplace.  There are caps on fines and none of them can add up to the size of his paycheck.  It's ridiculous. 

Title: Re: Rockets Suspend Royce White
Post by: Fan from VT on January 08, 2013, 06:53:39 PM
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/hang_up_and_listen/2013/01/nfl_playoffs_2013_hang_up_and_listen_on_the_redskins_mishandling_of_robert.html

(Scroll down for the quoted section below)


Obviously this is only his perspective, but from what I've seen of general awareness (lack thereof) of mental health by many people, including less aware physicians (like some sports med docs), combined with the "suck it up" aspect of sports culture, the egos of owners and GMs, and the league headed by a guy who likes to win power struggles simply for the sake of winning them, I wouldn't be surprised if there should be a better way to handle this from the league/team side.

Quote
Transcript of interview with Royce White.
JOSH: During the 2011-2012 season at Iowa State, Royce White was the only college basketball player in the country to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. As he starred on the court, White also disclosed that he suffered from generalized anxiety disorder, a condition that, among other things, leads to panic attacks. His honesty about his condition likely caused White to drop in the NBA draft, where he was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 16th pick in the first round. But White has yet to play in a game for the Rockets and he says the team has not listened to medical advice about how to treat his condition.
A week ago after reportedly refusing an assignment to the Rockets’ D-League affiliate, he released a statement that read in part, “I do wish to play, but I only intend to do so with the collaboration and recommendation of trained professionals. … It is true that accommodating mental health can be very tough and complex, however, sometimes the only reasonable solution to doing what is right is doing what is tough. To portray that the Rockets have been supportive to me is fundamentally incorrect.” This Sunday, the Rockets suspended White, saying he was refusing to provide the services required by his player contract. Royce White has joined us by phone today. Thanks for being with us, Royce.
ROYCE WHITE: Thanks for having me, guys.
JOSH: Sure, and maybe we can start by just saying what your expectations were when you were drafted by the Rockets in the first round.
ROYCE WHITE: Well, I really didn’t have any. I mean, I understood that I was one of the first players to be so honest and public about my mental health struggles on the front end, so to speak. So I knew that it was going to be a long process and some growing pains along the way anyway. I expected that from day one.
MIKE: When your career at Iowa State really kicked into gear—and you had transferred to Iowa State after a struggle at your first school—you had a plan in place and it was pretty regimented from what I’ve read.  Could you talk about how you thought you would transition that successful plan that got you drafted in the first round, that helped you get drafted, to the professional levels. Did you have managers? Did you have a psychologist you were working with? You know, other than the good intention of you and the Rockets, how did you expect to transfer that college plan in some way to the pros?
ROYCE WHITE: The plan that Iowa State implemented was a very simple one. And it was, listen, Coach Hoiberg was great in understanding that he knew very little about mental health. And I think part of the reason, you know, he was so open is because he has his own health issue that is another complex health issue with his heart condition, and he understood that he needed to listen to not only the doctors but he needed to listen to me and he needed to trust that I wasn’t going to try and get over on him using my condition and whatnot. And we had that understanding and we ended up working well together.
STEFAN: You had someone that worked with you very closely at Iowa State, sort of someone that was your guy. To make sure that you understood what the plans were. To make sure that on a daily basis your expectations were clear about what was required of you to play. You’ve mentioned on Twitter a lot about a “protocol” that you’d like to establish. In my mind, a lot of that is sort of groundbreaking for professional sports. You want to set a sort of precedent for how athletes with mental health issues can work with teams to ensure that they compete and train in a safe environment. What specifically though, Royce, are you seeking from that protocol? What is it that the team—whether it’s the owner or the front office, whoever—what is it the team has not been able to come to agreement with you on a plan?
ROYCE WHITE: Well, there’s two pieces to it. One is that, you know, under ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] law, anybody who has a disability in the work place, and if your job has over 50 employees, your job is required to accommodate you and the accommodation does need to be reasonable. That is stated in the law. The protocol here is just that, you know, when a medical situation arises, dealing with the mental-health-related symptoms, that a medical professional take the lead on how to move forward. Whether that be not moving at all, whether that be moving slow, whether that be moving at 100 miles an hour. Somebody that’s qualified and trained to give medical advice is the person who is at the lead of that. And I think that’s very logical and sensible. And to allow somebody like Daryl Morey, for example, to take the lead on that situation with having no medical training, is not only illogical but at the bare minimum it’s very unsafe.
MIKE: Royce, I think we just jumped ahead because there are just a couple things I don’t understand. It’s probably my problem. I’m not sophisticated enough with some of these issues. Here it is, the NBA draft and Royce White has this incredible talent, but he drops a little bit because maybe people don’t even understand what’s going on with you. They know you’re afraid of flying, maybe that’s all they understand. But then the Rockets draft you. Who did they call? Did they call your agent? Does the agent say, “All right, now that Royce is under your control I’m going to fax over, what, 10 pages of what should be done and it will spell out what his practice schedule should be.” I have no idea what went on. Who did they communicate with and what did they communicate?
ROYCE WHITE: You know, this [arose] when we were about to go to training camp. And there were a number of things that were going on with me, and my doctor recommended—who was my family practice doc, who first diagnosed my illness when I was in high school and has given me advice ever since—she said, “Hey listen, you need to stop doing anything until they get a solid plan in place that’s well thought out and considerate and that’s well within your right to ask for.” So that’s what I did. I said, “Hey listen, let’s get a plan in place. And until we get a plan in place, it’s not going to be safe. The workplace is not safe. And that’s the bottom line.” And, you know, they were very open to that in the beginning. They wanted to get together and do it. And then I think once they figured out how hard it might be or how complex it might actually get, that willingness to be collaborative only strains more when people on both sides figure out how much they need to put in.
MIKE: Who was representing you in this negotiation with the plan? You personally? Or did you have ...
ROYCE WHITE: Well, it was collaborative. I mean my agents and I were in constant communication with them. We talked about my travel. I probably took about a total of 20 flights last year at Iowa State. It caused me some stress, yes. To go from 20 flights to 96 flights for somebody who has a plane phobia is a risky amount of exposure. You know, right, there’s a difference between if you have a minor allergy to peanut butter and you eat one peanut butter sandwich. OK, you might not feel great but it’s not going to kill you. Now if you jumped in a big basket of peanut butter [laughs], you know, that might be it.
MIKE: Or if every flight takes a great deal out of you, doing it 96 teams is not smart.   
ROYCE WHITE: Yeah, exactly.
MIKE: OK, I get that.
ROYCE WHITE: So we said “Hey, OK, listen. How are we going to rectify that?” OK, well, we’re going to allow, well we asked to be allowed to bus to the games that are, you know, close enough. And when I’m on the road, let’s say we flew to Detroit and we had a game in Milwaukee. OK, well, we could bus when we get to Detroit from Milwaukee and if then we have to fly back or if you know, we could drive back. Or, whatever we can do that’s feasible. That whole negotiation took a while to do. A number of reasons. (a) is, who is going to pay for that, and that became an issue. The Rockets finally agreed that it does make sense for them to pick up that cost because travel requirements are something that teams do and first class travel requirements are something that also is in the CBA. So they agreed to that and then then there was also putting it in writing. Putting it in writing was a tough thing and the NBA didn’t want them to do that and then they came back a day later and said that they could do it. And it was a big weird process where again, protocol was obviously absent. There’s no precedent to work off so everybody’s really confused. And we finally got that squared away. And I started off the season, we were traveling, some other things were happening, and then some more stressful situations. I started having migraines and I said, “Hey listen, let’s go back to the protocol now. I mean, let’s, where we at with the protocol?” That’s when it started to get a little tense.
STEFAN: What comes to my mind, there are two things. The level of support to help you get the deal that you need in order to work safely, but also this larger question of, are you pressing these issues because you really believe you can’t function without something very, very specific? Or has this become about something larger for you?
ROYCE WHITE: It has become something bigger, I think. It was never my intention for it to become a big political thing or a social type of issue. I really didn’t intend for that to happen. I think it happened because the mental illness community by default is one that is (a) very quiet, and I am very unique to that group in that I’m not quiet. And (b), it’s just something that we’ve been avoiding for years and years. I mean we have players that are actually in the NBA right now with mental health issues probably even on my team. And there’s no protocol in place. So that just tells you there’s an issue out there that’s being talked about but it’s never being acted on. Now, talking about Iowa State, I think is very tough in terms of support, right? Because, you can’t even compare the two, and the reason why is because in college, the coach is the head honcho. OK, what Fred Hoiberg says at Iowa State goes. And what Kevin McHale says here in Houston is, it’s kind of neither here nor there, you know, when you’re talking about front office issues. Coach Hoiberg doesn’t really have a boss. The AD, yeah. But the AD really gives all the power back to him. I think at the end of the day, you’re never going to see the same kind of support on a professional team that you would at a college team just because there’s not the money factor involved for the players, and that adds a different dynamic, and (b) is just because the structure is set up different.
STEFAN: Now, Royce, you’ve been outspoken on Twitter about your condition and about your negotiations with the Rockets. Your platform to help others with mental health as you’ve describe and I think most of our listeners probably have seen Jon Hock’s short documentary about you that was on Grantland a couple of months ago, and understand you from that. Your platform to have things like that as a player is enormous. How do you balance the understanding of your broader goals as an athlete and as a human being, with the risk that if you don’t have the NBA, you’re not going to have that sort of access to people, to change the way they think?
ROYCE WHITE: Here’s what I believe. I believe in the truth. I’m a big seeker of the truth. I’m a big applier of the truth when I can find it. Some people argue that the truth, and what’s not true, is always up for debate. I don’t believe that, and I believe that the truth is truth, whether anybody knows it or not. And I also believe that if I stand for being true and I stand for being honest and I stand for people—you know welfare is a big thing of mine. I’m very humanitarian in my beliefs. But ultimately, I will affect change in a way that is positive. And that’s all that’s important. And, you know, having a platform that is bigger, maybe, but not built on the right ideas, it will crumble eventually. And it may not crumble in terms of you being able to reach people, because maybe I’m always able to reach people. But the message that’s coming through, the purity of the message, the genuineness of the message, crumbles at some point. And in terms of the platform, if it evaporates, I’ve always done a lot more things than basketball. Actually, I’m a writer by craft and I just happen to play basketball up until the point where it allowed me some potential avenues and opportunities.
STEFAN: I’m a writer too, Royce. And I can’t make millions of dollars, though.
ROYCE WHITE: Yeah. Well, it depends on what you write. [laughs]
STEFAN: In Jon’s film, we saw you struggle on draft day to even be in the room with your family and friends as picks were being announced. Help us understand better what someone with anxiety goes through. What are your triggers? What is it that makes life difficult for you?
ROYCE WHITE: The truth of the matter is that I don’t just deal with anxiety. And that’s something that the Rockets know, something that most people know now, is I also deal with OCD and I also deal with PTSD. A lot of us deal with PTSD and we don’t even know it. That’s the next cookie that’s going to crumble pretty soon. But those things all manifest themselves in really, really different ways. I mean with anxiety, obviously, I have a lot of uncertainties. It is very, potentially uncomfortable, not knowing. When I first started having anxiety, it was because I was very uncertain about my own health. Like, my actual physical health, like my heart and my lungs. I had a friend that collapsed and almost died due to a heart condition that they never knew about. So it was about my health. Now once I X’ed out all those issues, my anxiety has actually been pretty good. Now, I still have the occasional times where if I’m stressed out about something then it becomes hard to focus, or you get your sweaty palms. Now, the plane phobia itself is entirely different. That is independent, me not liking to fly. Probably has a lot to do with heights. Probably has a lot to do with trust. But the anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder in itself, has a lot of different symptoms. I mean it can affect your sleep, it can affect your eating habits, it can affect so many things that it’s hard to just pinpoint. It’s really, at the beginning of this, just a navigation. Like, you have to constantly be aware of it. You know, it’s like diabetes almost [laughs], you just have to be paying attention to so many things that you really have to try and eliminate the alarming stressors.
MIKE: That was good, I’m glad you said that, because it made me understand more. What was the trauma associated with the PTSD?
ROYCE WHITE: I watched my friend collapse and almost die, had to get a spinal tap open heart surgery. I had a friend die in a car accident. I’m very apprehensive about cars still, to this day. My mom was in an abusive relationship when I was young. There’s so many things that, you know, people go through that are very traumatic that they don’t even realize. And that’s where you talk about cause or you talk about message, is that, that’s the only message here. It’s that everybody needs to start checking in with themselves more on a mental health level and stop thinking that the idea that, Ah, whatever comes, you just push through it. Yeah, you can push through it. But are you pushing through it at 100 percent? Or are you kind of, slowly but surely, everything that happens to you that you don’t address just chips away from who you are. It just chips away, it leaves a scar, leaves a scar. And pretty soon, you’re not well.
MIKE: Royce, going back to the protocol that you wanted to implement with the Rockets, did the NBA Players Association have anything to say about that?
ROYCE WHITE: They said that the reality is that they don’t really believe that the NBA or teams would agree to it because it’s about control and it’s about power. And the conversations the NBPA and I have are very, are a lot more candid, than I would say on air. But that’s the gist of it, is that there’s always a battle for power. Now, the unfortunate thing is that that battle leads to subtle war between business and health.
MIKE: I just want to clarify though. From the conversations you had with the NBA Players Association, did they support or oppose you getting this protocol in place?
ROYCE WHITE: Oh, they support it. Yeah.
STEFAN: Can you understand that people may wonder whether you really want to play in the NBA?
ROYCE WHITE: No, I really don’t understand that. Again, I do a number of different things and if I didn’t want to play, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t even be fighting for it. I’d just call it quits, get a buyout, stop playing. I don’t have to continue to stand up for what’s right and what’s honest unless I want to play in this league. Now that’s always an option, to not play in the league. But I don’t believe it’s right that I have to choose between having a very hazardous work situation in this industry, and not playing at all. I don’t think those are choices that are logical or fair.
JOSH: Do you think that this disagreement with the Rockets and how it has played out, has that at all affected your anxiety disorder? Has it stayed relatively the same? Has it kind of waxed and waned with it?
ROYCE WHITE: I’d say it’s definitely heightened. I do a very good job, just because I’m an advocate for mental health and I do a lot of research and I know a lot about my own self. One of the things that you’ll, if you research hypervigilance, you’ll see that people with anxiety are one of the mental illnesses that develop like a very keen sense of their interior and exterior circumstances or whatnot. So, I do a very good job of maintaining my own anxiety now that I know that I have it. And ever since I’ve known that I have it, I do a good job of controlling it. But the way that I do that is to stay away from my triggers. And everybody has to know their triggers. Just like an alcoholic needs to stay away from a bar. Maybe I need to stay away from a plane. I need to know when one drink and two drinks turns into 20, right? So I do a good job of that on my own but ever since the situation has occurred, there’s a lot of stress and exacerbating type of things that are going on that are just out of my control. And I think until the situation’s resolved, I’ll continue to experience some exacerbating type symptoms. Like, I’ve never had migraines before and now I’m having migraines. And I usually don’t sleep well but now I’m really not sleeping well. And all those things are symptoms that in the long run, whether we want to admit it or not, those are things that lead to other health complications—fatalities. And when it comes to talking about life or health, you can’t just think about what’s convenient. You got to really think it out because you only have one life. You have to treat it very, very carefully.
STEFAN: So what are you doing now to make sure that if this is resolved, you can get back and contribute to this team? Are you treating this, and are the Rockets treating this as kind of a redshirt year where you figure out a system that would allow you to function and play and work on a daily basis and healthy environment?
ROYCE WHITE: I don’t think it’s a redshirt year. I think nobody knows when I’m going to come back, when it’s going to be resolved. And then until that happens I’m just going to continue to work out as I can and try and do everything I can to keep myself in a place where I can be ready to come back.
MIKE: If I may offer some totally unprofessional advice. When you want to avoid triggers and if this all works out, and you get back to basketball, you might want to take a break from Twitter. Not the outgoing messages. The incoming. Because some of the invective would get to anyone. And with someone with Twitter and anxiety problems, I’m sure it weighs upon you.
ROYCE WHITE: Let’s just be candid here. I get a lot of people that email me, tweet me, and say, “Hey, listen I was on the edge of the bridge. And I remembered what you said and I called 911 and I’m getting treatment.” Now maybe they’re full of it, maybe they’re not. But the point is that potentially, depending on what you say, you could save a life. You could help someone. And then you have the other side of the coin where people tweet me and say, “Hey, go kill yourself.” Or they put a smiley face with a gun next to it. OK, so, (a) I believe that the only way to battle negative energy is with positive energy. So I will continue to reach out to them and be positive with them because I’m sure that they need it a lot more than I do. And (b) it should warn everybody that not only are these people out there, but they’re out there in great numbers. If anything has come from this situation, it’s not that basketball players have mental illnesses too. It’s that our neighbors have mental illnesses too that we should be paying attention to, because they’re probably very out of control and very undiagnosed.
JOSH: So, wrapping this up, Royce. At a time when you’re trying to get to a place of health and happiness, if I asked you to think back to a moment in basketball when you were the happiest, what would you say that was?
ROYCE: That’s a tough one. For me, going 31-0 at Hopkins my senior year was really special just because the team went through so much adversity, with people not wanting us to be successful and saying that we were cheating by bringing players to the high school. That was really special for me, and coach [Ken] Novak was a great friend of mine and the Hopkins community was very supportive of me. But, the [most special] moment was us being able to get selected on Selection Sunday for the tournament. And I think that because everybody in our conference, all the coaches in our conference picked us at the bottom of the conference, we went into every game against the Kansases, against the Baylors, even against the teams like a Texas A&M. The underdog, and we were always getting bet against and somehow we found a way to pull together as a team and coach found a way to provide a cohesive system to allow us to be able to get to the tournament anyway despite all the doubters and I think that was really special not only for me but the whole community there in Ames, and my team especially.
STEFAN: Is basketball a safe place for you when you’re on the court?
ROYCE WHITE: Oh yeah. Yeah, I’ve played basketball since I was five, so you know, routine and consistency is big for people with anxiety and a basketball court is as routine as it gets for me.
JOSH: I don’t know if this is even a question, but just the thing, Royce, that was so striking to me with your answer about your best moments was about how they involved this kind of external negativity that was around you. In high school, with people questioning eligibility and in college people more questioning whether your team was good or not. And you talked about how with your teams you were able to kind of turn that into a real positive and sort of use basketball to help you through that. That just, I don’t even have a question—that was really striking and interesting to me.
ROYCE WHITE: For me, I always find joy in seeing other people happy and seeing other people feel that personal sense of achievement but within the collective. That’s really, if I would say anything, is the only gift I’ve gotten from basketball. The only real gift besides the superficial platforms that people talk about and the money and the opportunities, networks, and all that BS. The only real gift that I got is that sense of teamwork and camaraderie, and that’s universal. It’s not even about sports, it’s just life. And that’s something I’ve really grown to appreciate is, being … not only the team but the community, at Ames that was a huge, it’s like the community was experiencing something that you could see. You could really feel it. And that’s really special to me.
STEFAN: But it’s also fun to dunk on some dude, right?
ROYCE WHITE: Yeah, and talk a little trash and stick your tongue out and, you know, wear a red mohawk and act really crazy. That’s all fun, too. [laughs]
JOSH: Alright Royce, we wish you the best of luck with basketball or whatever else that you choose to do and that you are healthy and happy. Thanks a lot for talking with us.
ROYCE WHITE: Well, thank you guys, I appreciate it. Be well.