Rockets agree to let Royce White be bussed to some games, pending league approval

oops wrong thread

 

I am wondering about this too. Why is this a big deal that needs the league's approval? Is there a league rule that a player has to ride a plane with his teammates to road games?

 

There are rules on travel, including how early you have to be in town before a road game. Another issue is the player's union will need to get involved because the terms of Royce's contract will deviate from the standard player contract. Right now, Royce is going to attend camp in good faith (which just shows he could have come to media day and training camp).

 

No, but the league (according to the CBA) has to make sure the team is not giving the player an added benefit to circumvent salary cap rules. Some players would take non-monetary benefits in lieu of salary (like a house, or a boat, or a luxury tour bus). So they league counts that as salary. If a benefit is added to a contract, the league always has to OK by the numbers. In White's case, he's paying for the bus, so it isn't salary. But the league still has to see the addendum to the Uniform Player Agreement contract.

Also, there is an issue with insurance. Team travel for business reasons is insured. If one player does something different, the league needs to know.

Example, Carl Herrera earlier reminded us that the Rockets once took a ferry to Oakland for a game vs the insured, team bus (for some reason, can't recall). The league had to give an emergency ruling on that.

 

in other words, the league is strict in regarding to any added benefits to any player(to avoid team to find a loophole to reduce salary cap & to avoid players being in a situation "uninsured"

 

Yes. Nice 25-words or less summary.

 

Thanks, stl1622dc, heypartner, and mirus for the answers and summaries.

 

heyp, I think the ferry thing had to do with a bridge being closed for construction in the Bay Area.

The NBA is very strict about travel arrangements. Even if your team hotel is across the street from the arena, the league requires teams to take team bus over instead of walking like normal people would do.

 

Can Royce pick them up? Or does Royce have to get out of his bus and on their bus? hmm...

 

That's because they are not people. They are assets that need to be protected.

 

that's pretty funny. +1

 

btw...I'm from Texas. When you address me, like I do you, use my full name, please. Like Easy does. What are you, a New Yorker. I'm not your friend until you agree Rick Bayless is a god.

In comments not directed at my responses...heypee...heyp...hp...heydickpee are all fine.

Have you noticed that when I make a response directly to someone (even DD) I will spell their name out completely.

Typing "Easy" is easy....but do you know how hard it is for a lesdyxic like me to spell Herrera correctly each time.

But I always do.

"heypartner" is not that hard.

 

The NBA is run like a totalitarian state, I mean why in the world does he need approval for taking a freaking bus. Hell, if he wants to go by bike or on foot, let him! What if the NBA doesn't approve, is he going to quit?? I hope he would do it anyway and the Rockets let him. It would be really something if they don't allow somebody to take the bus when he has an illness that is quite serious. I bet, he could take it to court and embarrass the hell out of Stern and his minions. It's a violation of freedom and probably a lot more.

 

Rick Bayless is an Okie. So is Skip, but you can claim him if you want.

 

Insurance is one reason. Remember that if a player becomes unable to play in a season, teams have insurance that will typically pay 80% of his salary for the year. My guess is that the insurance company wants the lowest risk form of transportation possible.

They likely can't control how they go from home to work (Matt Bonner famously took public transit when he played for Toronto) , but transportation between work sites (between cities and between team hotel and away arena) may be subject to the insurance contract.

I mean, statistically speaking, air travel is a lot safer than long-distance ground travel.

 

Interesting comment by someone called Sooner423

 

Teams have added insurance, yes. But I think the League buys insurance as a group for all teams for business travel, so that one team doesn't pay more than another team, and that no team goes without adequate insurance.

See University of Evansville's horror.

Thus, Carl Herrera-type pun intended, Royce's bus is Rider.

 

Link

 

How is he planning to drive when nothing has been approved yet?

 

He can just fly there.