The medical and personal struggles of NBA rookie Royce White have been well documented since he was drafted No. 16 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft.
With under a month left in the regular season, White is yet to play a game for the Rockets. He had been recently assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League to prepare for NBA action.
Unfortunately, not even that has worked out for White this year.
White is a player that led his college team, the Iowa State Cyclones in all five major statistical categories as a sophomore — the only player in Division-1 to do so. At 6’8″ 260, he definitely has the frame and skill to be a productive NBA player, if his medical condition allows him to be.
White is plagued by several disorders that include panic attacks, a fear of heights and traveling — especially by plane, not good for road trips — and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Rockets’ management and White have struggled since draft night to work out terms for White to be a integral part of the team. White and his agent worked to include several unordinary protocols in his contract.
According to USA Today Sports, if White’s bus was delayed by weather while the team flight arrived on time and he missed a practice or shoot-around, he didn’t want to be fined the same amount as a guy who overslept and missed it. If White has an anxiety attack, he wants time to recover.
White took it to another level when he demanded a mental health protocol, and the parties could not find common ground, leading to White’s suspension from the Rockets on Jan. 6. White was reinstated on Jan. 26 on assignment to the Vipers. He averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 12 games.
It’s been a turbulent road for White thus far in the NBA. Here’s to hoping he finds a smooth path and an opportunity to put this year behind him.
For more on White, here is an excellent feature by Grantland’s Chuck Klosterman.
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
What the public doesn’t know, is that Royce refuses to discuss taking any anti-anxiety medicine like everyone else. And worse, is that noone thinks to ask him whether he takes any daily medicine or anything when he feels he is going to have an anxiety attack.
I have asked him, and he refused to answer. However, if he WERE to take a daily medicine such as Paxil, he would reduce his OCD and nearly eliminate his anxiety problem at the same. If he were to supplement that with an addictive but effective medicine such as Lorazepam (Ativan) he likely wouldn’t even have any anxiety attacks, even when flying. These medicines can be taken in low dose, with minimal side effects.
Tens of millions take such medicine and can function normally.
Royce deserves no sympathy. Unfortunately, when he grows up, and realizes his warped thinking, it will be too late. He will never play a game in the NBA.
@Highway_30 is an example of how someone with Anxiety+OCD behaves when they Don’t take their medicine. He is currently getting Grilled on Twitter and is showing his stupidity by Retweeting all the negative Tweets, as though he is “ABOVE” them all.