This is some speculation here, but a lot of athletes who play any kind of sport often hold that sport dear. Playing brings out the best in them and makes them feel @ home and an opportunity to excel. Working out releases endorphins, promotes overall health, and has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. With how utterly severe Royce's condition is, doesn't seem like basketball has been one of the few positives in his life and the one thing that has kept him off the streets? Most people would kill for a shot in the NBA, but he seems so egotistical in his efforts to the dismiss of the importance of playing basketball to promote his cause. Royce, without basketball there'd be no cause. Hell, with your personal struggles, there might not even be a "you" right now. Why can't you find help AND attempt to play basketball at the same time? I know anxiety can be crippling, but you don't seem to have trouble promoting yourself to everyone outside of basketball, with the monetary help of one of the few teams who placed some trust in you.
I haven't been keeping up with the various steps of this saga so I don't know if this has been discussed or whatever. If so, my apologies. Has White actually had real practices with the team? Has he played in scrimmages? If not, I wish they'd have him do that rather than assigning him to the NBDL, a thing that so obviously offends him. I don't say jump at his every whim but since he has this hangup about the NBDL, maybe he could try to practice his way into some game minutes. It's a mood problem that's causing this and the way to address it is by trying to change his mood in positive ways. I think he would benefit from being eased into regular social contact with the team, bonding with them through playing, having some fun after feeling so angry and bitter for so long. Once he knows everybody and has played with them trust will build and before you know it he'll have forgotten a lot of his anxiety as it surrounds this situation. Even if he's still afraid to fly, he'd probably be less so surrounded by friends. But flying can't be the only source of his anxiety. A move into the big-time, intense expectations about his play, and not knowing his team or his coach. I think that plus the isolation would give anyone anxiety. Maybe it's been tried and failed. I do think though that if the Rockets are still serious about trying to make this work, they need to stop saying D-League to him. He's not going to go and it only makes matters worse. Tough love doesn't work in these cases. Make him laugh, show him a good time, throw the ball around. I think that's the only way this turns around.
To answer your question. Here are the facts: Practiced with the team during much of Summer League, flew with the team to Vegas Played almost every game of Summer League Preseason Practiced, Scrimmaged and played in Preseason games Signs of anxieties about flying Up till October Start of the season He flew with the team to Detroit, Atlanta took the bus to other games Being part of the team for 5-6 games into the season This is where all starts until now #Protocol, Honesty and Transparency
I enjoyed reading this, but the fact of the matter is this is all probably all for not. Even if things get better he's still a 4 at our deepest position (for better or for worse). Donuts and Jones both have more upside. Both of those guys have practiced and fulfilled all of their duties up until this point. Both are next in line if/when McHale expands the rotation to try to find a solution at the 4. This whole saga has turned into quite the mess. Mental illness or not, Royce is essentially a cancer at this point (whether it's fair to label him as such or not). The five million Twitter posts, the seemingly apathetic behavior regarding whether he actually ever steps foot on an NBA court or the fact that he's months behind in terms of practice/conditioning/chemistry. He's on the team, great, he's a Rocket - as a fan I should be supportive. I'm just sick of hearing about somebody that's seemingly a net negative and will have no impact on this year's exciting group.
Great read and well written - nice job. However, I have an issue with the repeated applause for his "transparency." He has NOT been transparent - he makes vague complaints about support and protocol while never specifying what he actually needs from the team. That puts the Rockets in a position where they cannot refute specific allegations and, legally I assume, cannot unilaterally discuss the specific terms. It is either a move of pure cynicism by White, or a sign of someone with a persecution complex, who will never be satisfied. Either way, it isn't worthy of praise.
