Royce White leaves d-league team at advice of physician

[lightspeed5]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/226823/Royce-White-Leaves-Rio-Grande-Valley-Vipers

[Atzar]

It's time for this farce to end.  Be a part of basketball or don't.

This is long past ridiculous at this point.

[LB3533]

Maybe there are guys who do have legit mental problems. They need to be addressed not ignored.

It's very easy not to feel sorry for these millionaire athletes, but they are still people.

 

[pearljammer10]

Maybe there are guys who do have legit mental problems. They need to be addressed not ignored.

It's very easy not to feel sorry for these millionaire athletes, but they are still people.

So leave basketball and take care of his legit mental problems. I feel like that is an easy scenario. If he has a problem, he needs to get it taken care of. Unfortunately that means his basketball career, at the moment, cant continue. He needs to make the choice himself and stop putting the team in limbo.

I dont feel sorry for him for being a donkey about the situation.

[LooseCannon]

I think he should follow doctor's orders.  If, as he tweeted, the team physician advised him to go back to Houston, then I don't see a problem.  If he turns out to be lying about that advice, then he is scum.  If the Rockets say he lied but it turns out he was telling the truth, then the Rockets are scum.

[lightspeed5]

[timobusa]

My take is,
There is 450+ current NBA players, and thousands upon thousand more ex NBAers,
a couple of them are bound to have the same mental issues and fear of flying as Royce White, but we never heard of it, they never complained.

As much as I was a fan of Royce White's game, I think he is milking this too much. He comes off as self righteous in all of his statements, I'm sure the Rockets organization have gone over and beyond to accommodate this guys needs.
But it's still not good enough for him.

[clover]

Signed,

Horshak's Mother

[35Lewis]

What's bothersome is the social media aspect and the fact that he is making such a big deal about making a change in the nba for mental illness. In his delusions he fails to see that he isn't showing anyone how to overcome, he's showing them that he can stand out for being different and force his way to be done. Teams subtly force players to play through injuries all the time so mental illness isn't going to be different. I played in the days when concussions were treated with a slap on the back and maybe an aspirin.

If he realized he would have a greater impact by becoming great then it'd be better for all parties. Imagine if Lebron said he had anxiety disorder and the amount this could change the game...(real anxiety disorder, not the anxiety he gets from seeing someone that looks like Delonte).

[CelticConcourse]

This is long past ridiculous at this point.

How? I see nothing wrong with what he's doing. He has every right to do what he wants.

[SHAQATTACK]

did he leave in a flying saucer or something 

[Atzar]

This is long past ridiculous at this point.

How? I see nothing wrong with what he's doing. He has every right to do what he wants.

And if he has every right to do what he wants, then I have every right to think he's an ass for his behavior. 

I don't have a problem with the fact that he has an anxiety disorder.  The fact that he's trying to drum up awareness for mental disorders in general is very commendable; let me make that clear.  But there's a right way to go about it, and I feel that the method he has chosen is less of an inspiration than it is a distraction.

As it is, he comes across as a high-maintenance malcontent who will always want more than what he has.  I think it would have been much more beneficial had he gone about his business while relying on a PR person to make it known what he's doing, what he's going through and what he stands for.  The NBA and the media would have LOVED that story.  People like hearing stories like that, and the talking heads would have found a way to spend some time talking about it every time Houston played on national TV.  It would have reflected well on everybody involved, and Royce White most of all for displaying that kind of courage. 

Instead, it's just smearing egg not only on his face, but on the face of the entire Rockets organization.

[mctyson]

I think there is a lot of hypocrisy here with the Royce White situation, from the fans standpoint that support him.  We get all over players who seem to let their injuries, real or perceived, get in the way of their participation with the team.  There is no shortage of profession ball players, in any sport, that have taken their merry time getting back from injury because they can, because their contract says they can, and because they have a legal claim. 

Yet when it comes to White, there are plenty of people backing him and his cause.  The fact is he is letting, directly or indirectly, his health prevent him from doing his job.  This should not be tolerated.  He does not have to be a pro basketball player.  The Rockets are not preventing or discriminating against him by requesting him to play in games away from Houston.  That is part of the job.  It is time for him to realize this, and either get over his problem or quit.

[Celtics4ever]

There is not parity in sympathy for mental health and physical health.  Some think those who are mentally ill are weak or God is punishing them.  I don't subscribe to that and neither do all Christians just some but I don't think he would choose this outcome if he had a choice.  His career is over.  He was a great talent but unfortunately a lot of mental health issues can surface in early 20s.  He was showing signs before as well.

[LooseCannon]

I think Houston has mismanaged this situation somewhat and not done all they could have to get value out of Royce White.  Had I been in their place, I would have tried to sell White on the idea that he is a project who isn't expected to contribute this season and that the best idea is for him to go straight to the D-League and adjust to playing in a pro basketball environment and schedule, that the team would rather be patient than rush him.  The plan would be to play him down there for the entire season, or at least until February, no matter how well he does.

I am not sure the Rockets fully understood when they drafted him that his problem wasn't something where you just had to figure out a way for him to "get over it" so you can plug him into the team like any other player.