According to Ric Bucher, Royce White is making a 34-hour drive in his RV to go to the D-League game tonight in Santa Cruz and his nickname at RGV is "Winnebago." http://sulia.com/channel/la-sports/f/5a9a355f-34ef-48c9-ac70-13220be04408/
There is no way this doesn't affect his game. If there is any justice in the world, they will sit him tonight and let him contemplate on the 34 hour return trip.
How many ironic Names in the NBA now? Royce "Winnebago" White James "Flight" White I wonder if he is laughing WITH his teammates about his new nickname..
His anxiety is not actually for the flight, but everything leading up to the flight. I say hire a full-time anesthesiologist and sedate him on the bus ride to the airport, then have Francisco Garcia and Ho Chen carry him (those dudes gotta earn their pay goddamnit), then wake him up before the bus pulls up to the hotel at the destination. This is a proven solution to anxiety widely used by dentists in the United States.
I don't know if you've ever taken any sedative, but usually they leave you feeling pretty groggy mentally. Also, do you really want a guy that probably takes some sort of cocktail of medication to start adding MORE meds into the mix? Probably not. Note: I hope White succeeds because he's a part of the Rockets organization. Based on what I've heard him say and do, I do not like him. This is not me making an excuse or standing up for him. IMO, being a professional athlete requires a great deal of sacrifice and prioritizing things in your life. This is the trade off you take in order to make millions for playing essentially, a kid's game. Yes, Royce, this includes overcoming mental health issues. Don't believe me? Ask Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf aka Chris Jackson.
He can dick around in the D-League for 20 years for all I care. Maybe he should plan his yearly Maury/Dr. Phil/CNN tour around his NBDL trucking. If he wants to play with the team, he needs to get on every plane. It is part of being on the team.
It's starting to sound like refusing to leave the basement of mom's house. I can accommodate someone having a disability, but a lot of disabilities prevent people from playing in the NBA. You can't do it in a wheelchair, and maybe you can't do it with whatever disability Royce White has.
There should be a distance threshold on his RV rides. He deserves the bus as a crutch until he become more acclimated to the NBA but his long term goal should be able to consistently tolerate plane rides. (I doubt it is though.)
It is all bull****. White could get on the plane if he wanted to. He wants to make a political statement. He would rather advocate for his position on mental health than play in the NBA. The Rockets should sue him for breach of contract.
