He had a very troubled college career

quote:

---

How did this guy make it through playing at Iowa State? I admit, I haven't paid as much attention to college basketball in the past few years, so I really didn't know anything about him until the Rockets drafted him. Was he like this in college? How did Iowa State get him to show up to practice and get on a plane? Why can't the Rockets just do the same thing? I understand if they want to give him some slack because of his mental illness, but this is getting to be ridiculous.

---

My understanding is that he could take anti anxiety meds (Xanax) while playing at Iowa State but it is a prohibited substance in the NBA.

I've seen him play some in the Toyota Center. His talent is the real deal. If he wasn't BSC, I have no doubt he would be a top 5 pick.

White takes medication. Xanax prescribed would be allowed by the rules.

quote:

---

2. Vassilis Spanoulis

---

Outside of the Clutch City Era, the greatest moment in Rockets history was when Spanoulis told the media he should be playing because he was the "Tracy McGrady of Greece" and Van Gundy said "unfortunately, we already have the Tracy McGrady of America ahead of him."

Dude got assigned to the D-League Vipers yesterday.

In TOTALLY unrelated news, he has all of a sudden resumed posting things on twitter.

I'm sure this will end well.

quote:

---

Spanoulis told the media he should be playing because he was the "Tracy McGrady of Greece" and Van Gundy said "unfortunately, we already have the Tracy McGrady of America ahead of him."

---

Gotta love JVG

Twitter is blowing up reporting that the idiot refused the D League assignment and is still *****ing about the Rockets not treating him fairly, etc. Screw him. Just cut his sorry ass

Not a fan of any of the Texas teams, but Lord this kid is a freaking jerk.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/12/rockets-situation-with-royce-white-reaches-another-roadblock/

quote:

---

The Rockets had assigned White to the NBA Development League affiliate on Saturday, a move they considered to be the second step in a plan to add him to the team. White, however, on Sunday refused the assignment, charging in a statement that the Rockets’ decisions would be “unsafe” because of his anxiety disorder.

“I have chosen to not play, because the doctors and I believe it to be unsafe for unqualified Rockets front office personnel to make medical decisions, as they are not mental health professionals,” White said in a statement on Sunday.

“I do wish to play, but I only intend to do so with the collaboration and recommendation of trained professionals. The purpose of a doctor’s confirmation is to ensure that health decisions are made in the sole interest of health and not conflicted with business. My only hope is that decision makers involved realize that doctors are the only logical source to decide action.”

White, 21, did not say what “medical decisions” he believes Rockets officials have made, or if his objection is solely with the assignment to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers or what steps the Rockets have failed to take to create a safe work environment for him.
-snip-

---

[This message has been edited by Jackal99 (edited 12/30/2012 6:12p).]

He was right about one thing...the Rockets front office is unqualified.

After all, they drafted him.

This part is even better. Check out this little nugget of wisdom from noted thief, mall cop assaulter, and all around head case Royce White:

quote:

---

In hindsight of the recent tragedies in this country, that had mental illness variables, you would think it would encourage people to act more proactively in that arena. You would think that decision makers who are not well informed about mental health, would take the consultation and recommendation of those who are. You would think we would start to do everything possible to not let the tragic consequences befall us first

---

Wait, is he insinuating that he is about to go off his nut and murder a bunch of people if the Rockets don't let him ride to games on the short bus?

And for this freak show, he is getting paid 1.6 million dollars. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 Houston Rockets!

he's not getting paid

he's suspended until he reports

Man I wish I was 6 foot 8 or whatever so I could milk an NBA team for a couple million, never play an actual game, while portraying myself to be some kind of mental health martyr.

This nonsense will go on until the offseason when Royce White reveals himself to be Andy Kaufman

quote:

---

This nonsense will go on until the offseason when Royce White reveals himself to be Andy Kaufman

---

Tony Clifton!

The Rox are already screwed. White will never work out and he has zero trade value. Might as well F him and not let him get his way (by not cutting him and continuing to not pay him)

The Rockets should cut him with a statement along the lines of "White has indicated that the rigorous schedule inherent to NBA basketball is incompatible with his mental health treatment, so we are releasing him in his best interest". Actually, what they SHOULD say is "White can't even handle playing for the Rio Grande Vipers, so he has no shot of making it as an NBA player".

quote:

---

“I have chosen to not play, because the doctors and I believe it to be unsafe for unqualified Rockets front office personnel to make medical decisions, as they are not mental health professionals,” White said in a statement on Sunday.

---

Don't front office personnel make decisions involving medical issues every day? Daryl Morey is not qualified to perform knee surgery, but its still his job to decide what to do with a player with a knee injury. He may consult a specialist, but he makes the decision. There are only so many changes you can make to accommodate a medical limitation, so at some point it comes down to "is the player able to perform his job or not?"

It doesn't matter if the issue is a knee injury, adrenal insufficiency, anal fissures, medical complications with friends or family, trouble focusing on the game after your children have been kidnapped by Somali pirates, or mental health. Are you able to perform the required tasks for your job or not? Yao Ming doesn't get to use a segway because his feet crapped out, and hes not lecturing everyone on the need to truly understand how tough life is as a giant with glass feet.

Although their situations are much different, JaMarcus Russell immediately jumps to mind when I think about White

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/01/royce-white-describes-chances-of-him-never-playing-in-nba-as-very-high/

quote:

---

With no end to his impasse with the Rockets in sight, rookie Royce White said it is very likely that he never plays in the NBA, citing a lack of league-wide protocol for dealing with mental health issues including his anxiety disorder.

“I think that the chances are very high,” White said in an interview on Sirius/XM radio. “And I say that just like I said before the draft that the chances were very high that I didn’t even get drafted. Because business in America, as we all know, is about one thing and that’s convenience and efficiency. And oftentimes what the efficient thing to do is not the healthiest thing to do, right? That’s why we still sell cigarettes. It wouldn’t shock me if we couldn’t be logical and say a protocol is needed because it’ll be the hard thing to do. If that’s the case then so be it. I stand on what I say and I refuse to put myself in a hazardous situation to play a sport.”
-snip-

---

If his mental illness and playing in the NBA are incompatible, why did he enter the draft, sign the contract, and spend months acting like a drama queen who expects a franchise to bend over backwards to accommodate every silly whim he has?

And rockets officially suspended him today

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/01/rockets-suspend-royce-white-one-week-after-he-refused-d-league-assignment/

quote:

---

“The Houston Rockets have suspended Royce White effective immediately for refusing to provide services as requires by his Uniform Player Contract,” Morey said in a statement. “We will continue to work with Royce to hopefully come to a resolution.”

White responded via Twitter that he is fighting for safe work conditions.

“Threat, Fines, Suspension won’t deter me,” White wrote. “I won’t accept illogical health decisions, I will keep asking for safety & health.”
-snip-

---

Safe working conditions? What the hell is he afraid of, being on the border? Seriously...it's basketball. What's unsafe about it?

Because he's been perfectly logical in his decisions

quote:

---

This dude is a nucking fut that needs to go to the looney bin.

---

Probably the first time I've ever agreed with Cokehead. Well said

Royce interviews with slate.com. Scroll down for the transcript.

I find myself wanting to like him, but every time he jumps to saying how it's not a "safe" work environment, I just can't take him seriously.

He even says that he's a "writer by craft." If that's the case, then quit the NBA and go be a poet and make $2,000 a year.

A few highlights:

quote:

---

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.

---

[This message has been edited by coop-aero-06 (edited 1/8/2013 10:56a).]

quote:

---

This dude is a nucking fut that needs to go to the looney bin.

---

Whats sad that Royce White doesn't have any trusted friends or family members who are able to step in and help guide him right now. He is using the advice of a family doc he saw in high school, instead of taking advantage of the resources he has available. I am not disparaging family doctors by any means, but they are simply not the best resource for cases as severe as Whites appears to be.

I'm not an expert, but I think he really has a chance to have some success in the NBA, if not necessarily live a completely normal life. Most people who are suffering from mental illness do not have his abilities and resources, and he is just pissing everything away. I can't help but be angry with him for wasting opportunities that most people suffering from mental illness will never get.

I feel so bad for him for what he is going through, but he is still a worthless piece of sh/t who is doing a disservice to everyone else who suffers from mental illness.

quote:

---

I feel so bad for him for what he is going through, but he is still a worthless piece of sh/t who is doing a disservice to everyone else who suffers from mental illness.

---

This is the killer. If I suffered from a similar mental illness or anxiety disorder, I don't think I would look up to Royce White. I can't look up to a dude who is letting his disorder cripple him from living up to his potential as oppose to overcoming it. From the reports, it doesn't even seem like he has interest in accepting help for his disorder much less conquer it.

It's even worse that he's fashioning himself into a martyr/champion for mental health. What a bum.

quote:

---

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.

---

Yeah, remember when all those other NBA players that died on the job. It's a ****ing bloodbath for those guys.

quote:

---

This is the killer. If I suffered from a similar mental illness or anxiety disorder, I don't think I would look up to Royce White. I can't look up to a dude who is letting his disorder cripple him from living up to his potential as oppose to overcoming it. From the reports, it doesn't even seem like he has interest in accepting help for his disorder much less conquer it.

It's even worse that he's fashioning himself into a martyr/champion for mental health. What a bum.

---

There are millions of people that have mental issues that still work and are able to get through them. You put on your big girl panties and deal with it. If you need to take medicine, you do it.

^Basically.

DVR has been set.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/01/royce-white-suggests-potential-mental-health-solutions/

quote:

---

“I want a medical point person that will remain neutral and keep the interest in health,” White told Goldberg.

Asked if that meant the doctor could determine that White’s anxiety disorder would not allow him to play, for example, against the Lakers: “Then I can’t play against the Lakers,” he said.

“Just like if your doc … if your orthopedist says, ‘Royce’s left toe has a crack in it and he shouldn’t run or jump against the Lakers tonight,’ then I can’t run or jump against the Lakers tonight.”

White said the only difference between his disorder and an orthopedic injury is “you can’t see mine. There’s no swelling, so to speak. It’s not purple.”

---

I hate him so much.