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

So, he wants the doctors to decide who gets to play, when and where?

 

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And those characteristics are not indicative of a "smart" person, regardless of the reasoning behind it.

 

I missed that WOJ tweet. Gonna have to look for it.

 

White now has surpassed Eddie Griffin for worst draft pick all time. Atleast Eddie played for a few years before losing it.

 

I bet the Rockets will develop a new protocol before the next draft for evaluating the mental health of draftees. .

 

Wonder if his stance is, if the doctors say its unhealthy for me not to play in an NBA game, you have to put me in the game for my mental well being. Sure, that's a slippery slope the rockets will want to go down. I sympathize with him but the nba doesn't have a duty to let him play in an NBA game.

 

Agreed. If I'm the Rockets, I can't give ALL authority to medical staff as Royce demands. Royce will want some paperwork verifying this, and then the Rockets could be put in several tough situations because of it.

 

Stretching it to be fair to White while going off things that have already happened: White probably wants to do things like miss practice with short to no warning because without being punished for not passing that by the team first. This is one of the things he has already clashed with the team over.

He may also want to do the same for games and trips, be in a general non-committed state unless he feels like coming in to work.

There are likely other, more laughable demands, but this ability to come and go as he feels, with little to no warning, is something White has demanded. Being fined for skipping work after White says he called in 15 minutes prior to say he was staying home was the basis of some of the earlier twitter tantrums.

He's better off confronting and dealing with his issues rather than asking the world to change around them.

 

@LarryCoon: For those who have been asking me about the Royce White situation, @McCannSportsLaw covers it a lot better than I can: http://t.co/HWPwp15E


Interesting...

 

Coon also tweeted it is highly unlikely. A team has drafted a player who was later found to be ineligible (lied about his age) and got no compensation. Draft picks don't come with warranties. The other 29 teams will have no pity for HOU.

 

Here is one take. I have edited the document to only include the conclusion.

DO YOU BELIEVE HE CAN FLY?
ROYCE WHITE AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS UNDER THE
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT FOR NBA PLAYERS
WITH GENERAL ANXIETY DISORDER & FEAR OF FLYING
Michael A. McCann

IV. CONCLUSION
It is difficult to place blame in the ongoing employment dispute between Royce White
and the Houston Rockets. White would undoubtedly like to resume his basketball career and the
Rockets would undoubtedly like to develop one of their most talented young players. There are
two faultless obstacles blocking the way: White’s fear of flying prevents him from pursuing an
NBA career and the Rockets are members of a league that needs its players to fly. Neither of
these obstacles—absent unreasonable, if not outright implausible, accommodations—appears
resolvable. Indeed, the Rockets lack the capacity to supply significantly “more reasonable”
accommodations than they have already offered in the good faith deal. It would also be quixotic
for the NBA to change its scheduling system to accommodate one player, especially when doing
so may violate the league’s CBA with players and its constitution with franchises.

White could pursue legal recourse through the ADA, first through the EEOC and then
through courts. As explained in this Article, however, the ADA does not work well for White’s
potential claims. Although Roy Tarpley’s enjoyed success in using the ADA against the NBA,
White’s ailments may not be protected in the context of transportation to and from work. Even if
they are protected, the ADA is not designed to force employers to change their core business
model and essential job functions in order to accommodate employees. Litigation is also costly,
time-consuming and distracting, and might interfere with White’s basketball development.

Instead of turning to the courts, White would probably be better off identifying new
treatments for his anxiety disorder and fear of flying so that they no longer impair his NBA
career. If that fails, he, the Rockets, NBA and NBPA should consider loaning his employment or
terminating his employment contract, with potential compensation to the Rockets in the form of a draft pick.
It appears White would be better served playing in a professional basketball league
where all of the games are in driving distance. This Article explores the Israel Super Basketball
League as one such possibility, but there are others. If White could succeed as a player, he
would not only achieve his dream of a pro basketball career. He might also become a legendary
trailblazer for pro athletes and others afflicted with anxiety disorders and related phobias

 

Think of him as an "overseas" prospect or the 15th man on your roster who isn't going to get much burn anyway. That's how the Rockets view him (at least in the public's view)

 

No way the Rockets or any team would let medical personnel make ALL basketball and business decisions related to a player. No employer will ever do that. And Royce White has not shown that his talent is worth that much of the accommodation anyway. Maybe if he has proven that he's on Durant's level...

 

^This

Given that he's already stated that it's not about flying anymore, I think this is more likely it (or something very close). Unless he can last minute no-show practice and work without any retribution, he's going to stay home and fight for his AI rule. I can see IA St putting up with this but not the Rockets. That is the kind of protocol you don't want to get started on any NBA team.

 

"Executive Authority" - what the hell does this mean? The nuclear launch codes?

Enough already. End this circus.

 

No employer will agree to a protocol that allows them to be taken advantage of. They might make accommodations, but they need to maintain executive control. Its silly to expect a mental health protocol where players with mental illness can choose to skip practice and games, no questions asked, without any possibility of punishment and a guaranteed salary.

 

Compensation for White would be justified. People blame the Rockets for taking someone with his condition. But the NBA also has a responsibility of identifying potential athletes - and wether they are fit to play in the NBA. One could make an argument that all the players in the NBA draft were deemed fit to play in the NBA.

The Rockets were willing to make accomodations. But when a team willing to make accomodations and litteraly bending to make accomodations, then this will serve as a lessson.

For most people who play basektball, playing in the NBA would bee seen as a big accomplishment. But I figure White doesn't think the NBA meets his needs.

 

Ok let the doctors make medical decisions, but at the same time those doctors don't get to make basketball decisions.

 

I believe that article is clearly focused on Royce not being able to work due to his travel accommodations. Since that time period(roughly mid November to Early December),it seems like there are far more accommodations being asked of the Rockets than just travel conditions.

So based on what this article state regarding the ADA law, would those other accommodations be unique to other professions to force the Rockets hand, or are they still unique enough to the profession to where the there is no possible way for the Rockets to provide such accommodations?

The problem with judging this to be able to tell whether Royce would either fail or succeed in forcing the Rockets hand through ADA law, is that we would need be able to know the EXACT accommodation..... Which we as fans have NO IDEA what they are.

Based on what this article is portraying, if those accommodations(whatever they are) are unique to the profession, its going to be hard for Royce to force the Rockets hand to do anything beyond what is the norm for league player accommodations.

I just dont see why Royce thinks he can win this battle. If the Rockets wanted to void Royce's contract(unless there is something else we just dont know that proves the Rockets to be negligible), I dont see why they couldn't do so. Now, whether or not they would WANT TO or not is another question. Seems to me that right now they actually.... well... still want Royce oddly enough.

 

...I want to know what he means by 'chosen'. Chosen by WHOM? because if that means Royce's GP then that's really effing shady.