Author Topic: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?  (Read 16659 times)

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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #60 on: October 04, 2012, 03:12:44 PM »

Offline Lucky17

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Or, maybe the Rockets need to hire Ricky Davis as a "special assistant," in charge of getting White sufficiently "relaxed" so he can fly.

Ha, ha. Ricky Davis, licensed travel preparation therapist.
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #61 on: October 04, 2012, 03:24:46 PM »

Offline Rondo2287

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I will say though, if these issues are legitimate and not exagerated or just being pushed by his lawyers.  Im sure Royce White is just as frustrated as the Rockets are. 
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #62 on: October 04, 2012, 03:51:07 PM »

Offline mgent

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Quote
White's fear of flying, he said, magnifies his anxiety disorder. So he's asked the Rockets to let him use a bus for some of the team's extensive road trips. White said he's willing to purchase the bus and assume liability.

Seems people have glossed over this part.

The problem is that there are only like 6 games on Houston's road schedule that are really within "driving distance". 

If he wants to travel on his own, and won't miss practices, games, or shootarounds, then I don't see a problem with it.  However, that still leaves 35 or so games to deal with.

I get the impression he will still fly when he needs to.  But, he just wants to be able to take a bus, whenever it's possible, to minimize the amount he has to fly.

And I also imagine that there will be times when he might be using the Bus on the extended road trips.  For example for a East coast trip, he will fly with the team to Boston, then take the bus instead of flying to games in NY, Philly, Washington, etc.  So instead of having to have say, 6 flights, he just needs to take 2.
If it makes him play better, whatever.  Players and most employees have the right to choose how they are transported if it doesn't affect what they're actually being paid to do.  As Roy H. said, so long as he gets to everything on time, it's not a problem.  They probably don't think that's reasonable which is why it's taking longer to put it into contract.

Now if you ask my opinion, the time to straighten that out would be before his deal was even inked, let alone before camp a few months later.

I just can't see how getting out of the minority of his flights (the shortest ones nonetheless) is worth skipping camp in protest.  I mean how much is that honestly going to do for his anxiety?  For all we know, making him fly around in his free time to overcome his fear is probably a more effective plan.
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #63 on: October 04, 2012, 03:51:23 PM »

Offline European NBA fan

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If you look at his back story, I would say that it is pretty obvious, that he needs some kind of security within the Rockets organization. It couldn't be a surprise to the Rockets, if they have done any kind of research before drafting him.

Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #64 on: October 04, 2012, 04:07:13 PM »

Offline mctyson

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I will say though, if these issues are legitimate and not exagerated or just being pushed by his lawyers.  Im sure Royce White is just as frustrated as the Rockets are.

No way.  The Rockets have to be going crazy inside because of this situation.

I think the problem here is that Royce had all of his "needs" catered to while he was in college.  At a university of any size and stature, the last thing you can do is put a student's health in jeopardy, especially if it is a disability.  That includes if he or she is a scholarship athlete.  Imagine if Iowa State forced Royce White to fly somewhere and he had an panic attack and became seriously ill.  Is there anyone who believes that a major lawsuit would not have ensued?

So here you have a guy who, beyond just his sheer talent as a player, had a physical condition that Iowa State most likely bent over backwards to accommodate.  He gets drafted into the league and now has to adhere to a 82-game scheduled, with coast-to-coast travel, and back-to-back nights with flights, and he is contractually obligated to adhere to this schedule.  I am sure his agent told him before he was drafted that there was a way they could work around this.  Of course, that is complete B.S.  No professional sports franchise is going to accept missing practices, let alone games, because of his mental disorder.  Yes, they probably would give him special accommodations on team flights, in hotels, in the locker room, etc...but they would not allow him to NOT DO HIS JOB!

Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #65 on: October 04, 2012, 04:11:40 PM »

Offline AshyLarry

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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #66 on: October 04, 2012, 04:17:39 PM »

Offline AshyLarry

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http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/50157/get-on-the-bus-with-royce-white

This article may put it into perspective.

"" White's news prompted blogger Matt Moore to go to some lengths to describe his own history of panic attacks. The memo is that slowly, slowly, you learn to deal with it:

    Triggers for people with panic attacks are completely separate. When I thought about White trying to get acclimated to NBA life, my concern wasn't for him stepping up and hitting free throws with the game on the line. He's done that. That's in the context of something he can lose himself in, the least likely place for him to have an episode.

    But the idea of meeting new teammates and coaches, with more experience, high expectations, little sympathy and then having to deal with the media? I got a little twitchy just sitting here thinking about it from my comfy chair.

    The biggest thing to understand about White's situation is something that coaches hammer as a cliche over and over again. It's a process. Learning to deal with my anxiety took me a decade. It's still a problem at times. I don't let it affect my work, or my personal life. It's just something you work at, and what White's doing is what he needs to: working at it. ""
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #67 on: October 04, 2012, 05:18:05 PM »

Offline LooseCannon

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It sounds like they have an agreement in place but are waiting on approval from the league and the players' union.
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #68 on: October 04, 2012, 05:19:29 PM »

Offline ImShakHeIsShaq

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I'm going to put my 2 cents in...


I am disabled, now, I expect accommodations to be made for me in a work place... like ramps and easy access to my work area. However, I DO NOT expect to keep a job or be allowed to even have the job if I cannot PERFORM the job! He isn't asking for things to help do his job (like the laws for the disabled), he is REFUSING to perform his job! If he gets fired, that is not discrimination (I wouldn't expect to be treated with kid gloves), that is simply firing someone who isn't performing their duty!

Then you guys are comparing injured players, well they get injured doing their job. If they get injured doing things outside of work well they have provisions for such things, they could void your contract or other things depending on how you injured yourself! His "injury" is not work related. I'm not going to get hired at a job and then go make demands.
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #69 on: October 04, 2012, 05:33:14 PM »

Offline Eja117

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I hope this goes to the Supreme Court only because it's so unusual. What exactly is a reasonable workplace accommodation here? What exactly is him performing the core functions of his job? Is an accommodation "You don't have to guard Mett World Weirdo" or is it missing games? I wonder if there's any precedent whatsoever for this? Soldiers with PTSD? Astronaughts?

Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #70 on: October 04, 2012, 08:39:35 PM »

Offline ImShakHeIsShaq

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I hope this goes to the Supreme Court only because it's so unusual. What exactly is a reasonable workplace accommodation here? What exactly is him performing the core functions of his job? Is an accommodation "You don't have to guard Mett World Weirdo" or is it missing games? I wonder if there's any precedent whatsoever for this? Soldiers with PTSD? Astronaughts?

Soldiers with PTSD aren't sent out to fight, we ship 'em home. Astronauts, I'm sure don't work either, that's why it's rare to hear something about a crazy one (that woman went mad over a man LOL... that's normal). If you can't perform your job when it has nothing to do with some injury you sustained at work, I don't think they should be responsible for you. I just don't see it as discrimination. I'm sure they have done a lot to help him, it's not working so far (I think he has been getting help in college too besides them letting him drive to all the games)... do they have to bend over backwards for him?
« Last Edit: October 04, 2012, 08:45:53 PM by ImShakHeIsShaq »
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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #71 on: October 04, 2012, 11:06:59 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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It sounds like they have an agreement in place but are waiting on approval from the league and the players' union.

I think this is great news from both sides. Amicable, pragmatic. Good news for Rockets fans and Royce White.

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Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #72 on: October 06, 2012, 12:01:17 AM »

Offline TripleOT

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According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 40 million Americans suffer from some type of anxiety disorder. That's 18 per cent of American adults. 

This can be a teaching moment for the entire country, as well as an inspiration for many of those people if things work out with White and the Rockets. 

It seems to me that White wants to ease into the NBA lifestyle in a way that will both be healthy to him, his success and the team's success.  I have no problem with his approach either.  As the wonderful Henry Abbott point, an illness is an illness. 

Would Celtics fans want Avery Bradley in training camp right now, if there''s a chance his participation in camp would endanger his long term career, thereby weakening his team?  Same thing here.

If White can manage his mental illness, he's going to be a heck of an NAB player.   


 

 

Re: Royce White MIA to Rockets Camp?
« Reply #73 on: October 06, 2012, 02:19:40 PM »

Offline thirstyboots18

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Well said, TripleOT.
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