Royce White refuses assignment to D-League (UPDATE: Rockets suspend him)

This guy is a tool. He is literally crazy and the Rockets messed up on this draft pick. His vague assertions with no specifics are all a mind game. He is a looney and has set back the mental anxiety movement for all current and future players in the NBA. Nobody is gonna bother to try and draft a player like him unless they demonstrate before hand the ability to play in the league without demanding the team "accommodates" all their demands (aka: I'm too good for the D-league, I won't bother to report.)

He has set back the "anxiety troopers" about a hundred years.

What's next? Wheel chair players in the NBA needed accomodations to play the game? Hey, if you can't play it like everyone else then you don't deserve the check or the recognition.

Unless he changes his tune and start accepting his employer's parameters for employment then he is going to soon be without a paycheck and the ability to play for the NBA ever again. This is not an accomodating league, this is a league for the best players in the world. If you can't play, for whatever the reason, you don't belong in it. Ask Brandon Roy, he wants to play in it badly and has the ability to do so but physically can't so he soon won't be again. That's your future Royce unless you start becoming a man and taking control of yourself.

 

Yes they do, but a big factor in Royce being picked had to do with his college coach being Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg has good ties to McHale and he's viewed as a smart, reliable guy. Clearly, his recommendation was not good.

 

Did anyone else catch Friedman's 'no comment' today followed by the indication that the team would be making an announcement regarding the situation in the near future?

I think they are following protocol set forth from their lawyers in order to initiate a breach of contract.

 

The rockets said no way they are releasing him,,,,

 

releasing and breach of contract are two separate issues.

 

Woj doesn't Tweet statements like that just because. Its my personal belief that this was a hardball message to Royce. You are going to have to be the one to pull the plug here because we aren't going to do it.

Its almost a "double-dog dare you" type of thing. If Royce decides to officially resign, it will be much better for the Rockets both financially, publicly, and help with flexibility basketball moves than if they were to simply waive him.

If the Rockets are publicly saying "We will under no circumstances waive you" they are trying to send a message, and that message probably isn't just for the fans, if at all.

 

It's about time, the Rockets can't let this thing drag on forever. The guy is a PR nightmare along with setting a bad precedent with the rest of the players by not disciplining the guy for refusing to go to the D-League.

Lot of bad blood between White and the Rockets so why even consider keeping the guy, any action by the Rockets should be with the aim of cutting ties with him.

 

I agree. The Rockets seem to me to be seeking and taking legal and PR advice in protecting their interests. The window of opportunity may be closing on Royce faster than be realizes. Where are his advisors in all of this?

 

one thing for sure rox needs to do is to make sure there is no connection btw him and guns.

 

Sure did. Jason did mention that we will be getting an official "update" from the team here pretty soon. From on the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like anything positive. My guess is they are awaiting approval from guidance from the league office on what is the appropriate amount to fine Royce.

More than likely Les and Morey are making sure that they are communicating their decisions along the way with the league office and Stern in case there is potential litigation that affects the league as a whole and not just the Rockets.

 

I will celebrate the day this clown is no longer on our roster.

 

I definitely don't expect the team to try and part ways because they have nothing to gain from it. That money isn't a big deal to Les, especially since he knew beforehand it could go to waste.

I also don't think Royce wants out. I think he's just a young kid who thinks he's the "chosen one" to make a change. He's smart enough to absorb knowledge, so he knows a lot, however, his mind isn't developed enough to always know how to apply it reasonably. It's not that uncommon at his age, since that part of the brain is usually not fully developed. This is easy to see in how much he contradicts himself, like how he talks about being transparent and choosing honesty and truth over professionalism, yet he refuses to gives any specifics.

He says very little, considering how much he tweets. All he does is re-tweet or rephrase questions that are asked. It does seem like he wants a blank check, only not made out to him, but to the doctors. The problem is he doesn't belong in the NBA, if he needs the doctors to have that much control. It's just not realistic. The Rockets know this, so they can't sign off on it because it would almost be like fast forwarding the end of his career here.

 

I think Royce wants to be the guy who changed the NBA. He wants to have his legacy as being the guy who made the NBA more friendly and attentive to mental health question. I believe he thinks he can persuade the NBA into concessions by bringing the issue into the public arena. I think he envisions a tide of public appeal for the NBA to cater to be people with special needs.

So no, he isnt going to resign unless he can do it in such a way as to make the NBA and the Rockets look very bad. Bad to the point of an outcry for his later return.

This line of thought explains to me at least his incessant use of twitter in the form of gaining sympathy specifically aimed at making the Rockets and NBA look callus to the mental health issue, specifically his.

 

The Rockets need to cut him now and file a restraining order against this mentally ill nutcase away from the team, its officials, players and fans.

 

Well, the only thing that could make the organization look bad at this point would be releasing him and then having him play successful minutes somewhere else. I really don't think this is going to happen, but it's better to eat his contract and let it expire rather than try to force him out and fight a long PR battle which could play in Royce's favor.

 

I think a lot of you are overstating just how "smart" Royce White is.

I keep seeing people post that, but his actions/comments/mannerisms indicate evidence to the contrary. As for saying "oh he's just young, he's still learning." That's false as well imo. Actual "smart" people well into their 20's don't behave in the way he is.

The pre-frontal cortex is almost fully developed into your 20's. While I might concede that according to some experts in psychology the pre-frontal cortex takes until your mid 20's to mature, Royce White (22 in 3 months) is not far away from that. There's no reason he should be acting so immaturely.

So it's either one of two things as I see it. Royce White is either just a bad human being (manipulating his organization, not reporting for work, acting selfishly) or not very smart at all. It's one or the other. But, I don't believe there is any way to say he's both a good human being and smart at the same time.

 

Maybe we should cut all social media connection off with this guy, he seeks to bash the Rockets every chance he gets. Rockets are a fundamentally sound team now; we don't need this thorn in our foot

 

Cut head off the chicken

 

Royce White ‏@Highway_30
Protocol gives executive authority to chosen medical professionals in ALL & any medical situations. #MentalHealth is emphasized especially.


Royce finally hints at what the 'protocol' he wants is.

 

Royce may be physically mature, including full development of his brain, but he's far from emotionally mature. He's feeling like Atlas now and trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. This behavior is propped up by a strong sense of self-entitlement and me-vs-the world mentality. He's backed into a corner (or at least he feels that way which I'm presuming), so he's acting on impulse instead of rational, mature reasoning.