Royce White skips game and practice (UPDATE: White issues statement)

Read his post fully, it details a lot in it is amazing. He did also hit on the point that is bolded in your post. I'm fine with Royce being upset, that's alright. What bothers me is that he thinks Twitter is an appropriate forum to discuss his issues with the Rockets. It isn't. Call league offices, call the players association, talk to a labor lawyer, that's all well and good but do not talk bad about your boss via twitter. Mental disorder or not, for 99.99999% of Americans talking about your boss on a public forum like that would likely lead to termination. Why should it be any different for a basketball player?

 

We don't know, but that is part of the point. We can't know how much is the mental disorder and how much is something else or even if the two can be seperated in his case. Since we don't know, so it is irresponsible to act like selfish manipulative motivations and immaturity is what is really behind this, as if it is a fact. If the Rocket's really believed that with certainty he would be suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, not still publicly supporting him.

The other factor is that who in thier right mind would think that this behavior would work? You almost have to be suffering from mental illness to think this behavior would lead to getting more playing time as some have suggested is his motivation.

We can throw out our suspicions and discuss theories in a civil fashion without assuming the worst case scenario is the "real story". No one is saying his behavior is appropriate, but being inappropriate is a long ways for being manipulative, faking a condition or some of the other negative theories that some people have decided are facts in their own minds.

 

I once hired someone to work at my store with Schizo-Affective Disorder. I did so because I wanted to give him a chance to earn a decent wage despite his condition. My only requirements were that he would continue to see his doctor, take his meds, and communicate with me regularly on how he's doing and what he needs. Things were fine for about 3 months. He had a few episodes but we worked through most of it together.

Finally one day he just no show/call two days in a row. Turns out he had an episode and shut down. Later I found out that he went off his meds and stopped communicating with me on where he was at psychologically. THIS behavior is understandable given his condition. As his employer I accounted for that already and was willing to give him grace because of it.

HOWEVER, I ended up letting him go because of his immaturity in handling his failures and the reality of his position. I couldn't give him certain shifts and responsibilities due to the unpredictable nature of his condition. He had a hard time dealing with that. Felt anger, shame, fear as a result. These feelings can trigger an episode of his mental illness, but he can certainly still manage them with the right tools and support. But instead of focusing on acquiring those tools and using them, he chose to shift the blame and responsibility to others. THAT isn't a mental illness issue, it's a maturity issue.

It's easy to confuse the two, but IMO you don't want to enable a maturity issue by thinking that your helping a mental illness issue. Sometime people have to suffer the harshest consequences of life before they're willing focus on the right problem.

 

I am not disagreeing with you but the Rocks has to also contend with the NBA union (since they are all members of that) lawyers in addition to Royce's personal lawyers. Things like these are not as easy as we think.

 

Anyone know the estimated grand total of the fines up until this point? :grin:

 

His tweets and this thread have slowed down. #Progress?

 

I bet the rockets end up paying all lost wages.

 

The problem with this is what you say on social media can be used against you in the court of public opinion. He's said so much that it gives people a small window into his motives and intent. That is why people will judge accordingly. To expect otherwise just isn't realistic. It's the reason why it's so important to think 3 times before posting your inner thoughts and feelings on twitter/FB world.

So in what he says you've assumed this is about his mental health. While others assume it's his immaturity. Again, making assumptions based on what he says is unavoidable.

 

Reminds me of my ex-girlfriend, except she would lash out against me and take petty revenge, even get semi-violent. Good thing this employee of yours didn't go that route, but a lot of Royce's actions remind me of this ex-employee of yours and my ex-girlfriend. It doesn't take much of a trigger to set them off and you can only help to a certain point before it becomes burdensome and unreasonable.

The communication between Royce and the Rox seems bad, but it's on him to tell the team what's going on. If he just doesn't show up, and if he's been ignoring the team's efforts to get him medical help, he can't just go out there on the twitter-sphere (looks like someone got him to stop, for now) and post whatever jumps into his brain (which, on his end, seems normal---believe me, I lived this, hence the term EX-girlfriend---and, to us, seems narcissistic and childish).

 

Good insight. Thanks for sharing

 

This is definitely the case here.


How old was the guy you hired?

 

26 at that time

 

Royce White is being fined for not attending practices and D-league assignments.

Royce White has no problem lying to us and making it seem like he's being fined because he's too lazy to meet with a shrink in person.

Royce White also seems to intimate in the last tweet that he will get his fines back from the Rockets. How? Through an ADA lawsuit in which he literally claims his employer has not made reasonable accommodations for his disability by not giving him playing time?

I don't...what...? How can a person be this dumb, this self-absorbed?

 

Possibly someone who has hundreds of followers tweeting and telling him "keep going" and "you're justified". I can definitely see immaturity and thinking he's on a righteous crusade play a part.

 

This is only half the truth. He's being fined for not attending practices, games or therapy sessions. It isn't just missing practice and games that can get him fined.

You have no idea what logical actions would come from the mental disability he has so it may not be fair to say that he's lying, and that he'll file an ADA lawsuit. That was your own conclusion. He may, but who knows?

 

This is pretty disgusting. I mean, #HealthFirst, right?

 

#MedicationWorking

 

As a poster mentioned above...he is getting positive reinforcement for random internet "doctors"...telling him to keep the fight..etc...in his head...he uses them as his justification to keep up the "fight"...the issue is more that this isnt really a fight...its a struggle within Royce's mind...therein lies the definition of a true mental illness...people should leave him be and let him figure out his own troubles...and with time...he should be more rational...

wish him the best...but seriously can see his career finish at the end of the season...sad...great talent...that hasnt gotten the right help and direction that he deserves...

 

Thing is NBPA isn't even disputing the fines levied against Royce atm. Indicates an unwillingness/inability to step in here as there are no adequate grounds to cry "foul." From all indications, Rox have been an above-board organization beyond repudiation. You can accuse them of stupidity for drafting Royce, but you can't say they haven't provided adequate support/accomodation.

The fact that the NBPA has been completely silent regarding Royce and the fines implies he has no legal ground to stand on.

 

I don't really care who has what disorder and who is right and who is wrong and who will get what money back, etc.

Royce was always a LONG-SHOT to be an effective NBA player. Nothing stood out to me in either the summer league of preseason, except for exceptional passing ability for a big man. Nice trait to have, but I don't care how good a rebounder Rondo is, if he isn't the floor general and assist man he is, as an effective scorer when open, it's a useless trait at the PG spot. A great passing big is only useful to the extent he is also a competent rebounder, defender and scorer - see Webber, or Divac.

Now, I have to listen to him complain via Twitter about how he's getting fined $15k a day, and how he is being unfairly treated and will get that money back.

Go away dude. Mental disorder may be the cause of such pompousness, but it doesn't excuse it. While I seriously question whether it causes it - anxiety, OCD, fear of flying, etc... none of that appears to have anything to do with outright greed and public stupidity to me... but I'm not a doctor.

I'm just a fan... who doesn't give a crap.

You're burning a hole in our cap space!