Guy986 wrote:I feel for Royce White. I really do.
As a fan, i think we made a mistake with the 16th pick.
As a person who suffered from episodes of anxiety since i was a kid, i'm sympathetic. The irrational fear of something as mundane as getting in an elevator full of people or buying a happy meal in Mcdonalds used to make my heart pound and my skull sweat. I've gotten a bit better at dealing with roomful of random people whom i assume are always psychotic serial killers as i've aged. I discovered beer.
Unfortunately the real world doesn't care about your problems. Its about whether you can do your job or not. This is especially true for a professional athlete. Its a cut throat business.
But White did teach me that i can be open about my anxiety. And that there is nothing wrong with being open and honest about your anxiety. (as long as you don't go overboard.......) For that i'm thankful.
Anyhow White posted this picture on this twitter account.
http://instagram.com/p/SERm31ulld/If White really care about his child's future, the responsible thing to do would be to follow the rockets plan. Take the guaranteed millions for 2 years. With that resources he can champion his cause through other routes. Everyday he gets fined is everyday his family suffers. Fighting this war with the Rockets wont end well for him. No one care what a poor nobody has to say on twitter.
Nicely done.
Royce is unfortunately smart and obstinate enough to rationalize his behavior to some higher calling. The issue is that Rockets are according themselves as business as usual with Royce, which Houston is pretty good about being nice to their players. Royce on the other hand thinks he has a really good idea on what is best for his own health, and therefore wants to do it his own way. Each side is unfortunately right. The Rockets have the CBA and probably the players association on their side that dictates how the franchise oversees the management of a player's health. They have that right because they have to pay for it. Royce on the other hand should feel uneasy about having to deal with a shrink he doesn't know, and one who might offer contradictory advice to his own therapist. On another note, one can only image what both of Royce's therapist thinks about all of this.
When you come late to camp because of contract disputes that pertain to disability, a lot of people will give you one pass and let it go. When you start missing games and practices and you are in a contract where you can't be fired, there is no way to spin what you did and make it look good. Especially not when one in eleven folks can't find work.
Royce White is certainly not doing himself any favors by speaking about his disputes with the rockets on twitter. 140 characters long statements in anger will always sound like a tantrum rather than a cogent argument. He needs to stay off the Internet megaphone for awhile.
I don't think Houston drafted poorly at the time. This has nothing to do with his anxiety per se, nor his basketball ability. How he handled himself in Ames, Iowa is literally night and day from where he is now. Based on the available information, the Rockets did the right thing.
On a side note about the money:
When the Bush tax cuts get rolled back in January, Royce will take home a bit more than half of that 3.2 million guaranteed money. You could live carefully on a million and a half for 20 years, but with capital gains tax hikes coming into play, it'll make money managers lives a bit more difficult just to beat inflation. Plus he'll have to live much more modestly if he doesn't want to eat into principle. If he doesn't want to play in the NBA beyond his rookie contract, he better have a plan B.
Last but not least, I really, really, really want to see Royce play. Every one who has seen him play well at Iowa State will never forget that. I would hate for someone capable of doing things that I could never even fathom be stopped by circumstances that he can control.
