This topic contains 15 replies, has 13 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar Ahkasi Clay 11 years, 4 months ago.

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  • #44651
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    mds0549
    Participant

    If Royce White quits the NBA what does that do to anyone else that might have a mental health issue trying to play in a sport? From the outside it looks like the Rockets have done everything they could to accomodate him but all of the negative publicity lately is coming from him about how poorly the team is handling the situation.
    The Rockets spent a 1st round pick on White who went from working out an arrangement to take a bus which hasn’t been done since the 50’s. His response is to challenge them and critisize everything from their lack of knowledge on mental illness to the doctor’s availablilty. Houston has always been known as a team that put more resources in to players that need special attention by keeping John Lucas around but I don’t see how this works out in any good way for the team or White.

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  • #728835
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    mikeyvthedon
    Participant

    I think most of us knew he had these issues and were pushing for him to deal with them as well as he could. Well, he has obviously had a tough time doing so. Still, despite what ESPN is announcing, he hasn’t walked away yet. Honestly, even if he does, would not rule out him getting help or finding time to deal with things than coming back.

    Of course he would have to earn his way back, just could be done. The mental aspect is definitely something teams try to look into. Royce was not dealing with things in a professional manner, but people bombarding him with "if I were you" or "there is nothing wrong with you, get over it" comments definitely do not help. You are not Royce White. Guessing he must have issues he feels are incredibly important to attend to and severe anxiety that I for one can’t imagine being easy to deal with.

    I have seen a poster talk about it on this board as well, just have a feeling that he must know what it is like to deal with this in a sense. Most of us here would kill to have Royce’s combination of size and skill, which is why many people say, "I would get over it no problem". Well, we do not know the exact story behind it all. Clearly it looks like Royce could be handling things better, just am not so sure he does not have some definite issues he needs to take care of before stepping on a basketball court. Mental health is something someone can need time to deal with much like physical health. Royce may be "ready to walk away" if he does not feel this is being dealt with, just give him time to actually try to deal with it before making hypotheticals of his quitting being inevitable.

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  • #728836
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    Rafter
    Participant

    Houston’s HR department should be more robust in dealing with this issue so that people like Royce don’t suffer. There is a clear internal problem here and Royce White has admitted on his twitter that the Rockets haven’t been educated enough on this subject which should invite an increase in the awareness of anxiety. Mikeyv makes a great point about people who are trying to understand the problem when people actually don’t have the issue that is as extreme as this..

    Time is a great healer but both sides need to share a common understanding.

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  • #728839
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    Siggy
    Participant

     Anybody know what he wants from the organization?  All I’ve heard is that he wants "support" which sounds pretty vague to me.  Does "support" include them paying for a bus? A team psychiatrist? Does he need PT to justify what he puts his body through every time he travels?  Does he need more leeway to miss team events, practices and games because of his disorder?

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    • #728869
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      phila9012
      Participant

      Vague criticism to the media is the worst thing he can do. He should have kept it between him and the team, or explain to the media what he meant and what he would like the rockets to do, otherwise it makes him sound like he is the problem. this comes across as dumb as when people say stuff like the lakers should trade Pau, but they dont explain why they should or who they should trade him for. (this doesnt normally happen on here, but it is an example of how royce whites comments are coming across)

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  • #728842
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    Meditated States
    Participant

    I knew this would happen with him. Out of the league will be at the end of this kids name soon.

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  • #728845
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    Hitster
    Participant

     Were these issues flagged up when he was on the mock drafts and during the draft processes. I cannot recall reading about these issues when he was at college, surely they would have been flagged up to Houston when they signed in or come to light during the draft interviews. If we remember guys like Blair at the Spurs crashing down the draft due to issues with his knees despite which he has become a regular starter on their roster, surely something like this would have had an effect on Royce’s draft status.

    Royce may protest but he was only the 18th pick, okay it was a first rounder but it’s not like he was a top 5 player and Houston only have him on a two season guaranteed deal. The issue remains if he cannot take flights can he ever have an NBA career, imagine it’s play off time and teams are in a series it would not be practical for him to be bussing across states then.

    A very famous Dutch Footballer called Dennis Bergkamp had a well known fear of flying in the 1990’s and so missed certain European away games but he was an elite level player and in football as well as the NFL games are more spaced out so this type of issue can be accomodated much more.

    Hopefully Royce can get something sorted otherwise his time in Houston could be short, I would not neccessarily say that it would be the end of his NBA career, another team may look at him and for a minimum contract figure they could get rotation minutes out of him for maybe 60 games and sit him out around their star players but then give them an odd game off when Royce is on the tea.

    From a fun point where do people think would be a good place for him to play geographically to get the most games out of him e.g shorter trips to opponents, my mind went to one of the LA teams who share an arena or maybe another of the California teams. 

     

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  • #728849
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    Lebron’s Hairline
    Participant

    Yes the issues were brought up hundreds of time with him, if Royce quits hes going to give up on a job all of us here would kill for, it’s a once in a lifetime oppurtunity. He says he wants to be a motivational speaker for people with his illness yet instead of facing it all he’s done is run from it, since he was in high school he went to Iowa state so he could drive and now in the league

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  • #728856
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    Tha King2121
    Participant

     The thing that I’m having trouble with is why out of no where did the illness become such a huge factor. Like College he was okay, and played, In the combine he killed it on the court and interveiws. However its like all of a sudden its a huge deal. I don’t mean to bash him I love him game on the court but whats the reason he was handling it before and now its like hes struggling really hard?

    Also anyone see his twitter account. He tweets about his illness all the time and people hate on him and tell him just go play. Also other support him, I feel like his twitter account is getting into his head. But can anyone answer my first question?

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    • #728866
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      Tongue-Out-Like-23
      Participant

      Now I’m no psychiatrist or anything but I think the reason as to why his anxiety problems are so significant now is simply because of the fact that now it’s the NBA.  It’s prime-time, it’s real, it’s his dream and so naturally, the stakes are higher and his anxiety worsens when he thinks about that.

      In college, he was the best player, beloved on campus and knew he would nearly dominate every game he played.  But now in the NBA, he’s a nobody and at this point, disliked by many fans, players, and organizations.

      In a nutshell, the stakes are higher, thus causing him to overthink these situations forcing his anxiety to worsen.

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    • #728867
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      Siggy
      Participant

      The travel schedule in college was less hectic. Like in conference play, he could just drive to road games due to the closer proximity.

      I also think a big deal for him is that he’s not playing.  There is no payoff for him personally when he travels to these games. Every plane trip is a battle for him, but he’s putting himself through these emotional swings and energy dumps for what? To sit on the bench in street clothes? I’m not saying that he should play just because of his condition. I’m just saying that maybe it’s not worth the added stress for him.

      I don’t follow his Twitter, but the thing with some psychiatric disorders is that they can consume the mind.  That’s basically what anxiety disorder is, your mind gets consumed by certain things like a fear, a worry or even the person’s condition itself.  One simple thought can spark thousands about that one thought.  I also think he talks about his disorder all the time because he’s basically put himself in a position to be a spokesperson for it.  That’s one of the reasons why I don’t think he will quit any time soon.  If he quits, then he’s basically admitting that his disorder won, which doesn’t set a good example for people who suffer from the same thing.

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      • #728988
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        Ahkasi Clay
        Participant

         if he refuses to practice, how does he expect to compete for playing time? and if he is given playing time just based on his condition, how is that fair to his team maesd that go t practice to get beter?

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  • #728862
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    apb540
    Participant

    "I knew this would happen with him. Out of the league will be at the end of this kids name soon"

    Dam, what did Royce White do that pissed you off so bad.

    "Also anyone see his twitter account. He tweets about his illness all the time and people hate on him and tell him just go play."

    I said this in the last Royce thread and will say it again here:  Why does an NBA player with serious anxiety (and other) problems have a Twitter account?  That’s just bad news.

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  • #728910
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    Meditated States
    Participant

    Calling it how I see it. He needs to get over the sh!t. Get on the damn plane and stop being scared to die. Its whatever. Play ball get money politic for your disorder. Ni99@ needs to dig deep and man up. Stop with excuses.

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  • #728913
    r377r377
    r377
    Participant

    I know first hand what Royce is going through. But since this has blown up in the media it is only going to make his anxiety worse. I can’t see him getting on the court soon. I am hoping when this all calms down and ppl stop talking about it he can hopefully "fly under the media radar" and start his NBA career.

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  • #728987
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    Ahkasi Clay
    Participant

     dealing with it??? this can not be gotten over, but you can devise plans to deal with it

    the sad truth is if he is unable to be a nba player, he should not be, I was really hoping that he could get a plan together to progeress his carear, but it does not seem like nba is his focous!

    he is not entitiled to anything that the rest of his team is working to earn!

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