Royce White article on Grantland. My take: I am not on his side anymore after reading.

[lobotomybeats]

Grantland>>>>

Chuck Klosterman is a great writer.

 

[big j 33]

He's one of my favorites, I have two of his books and I usually enjoy all his articles.

 

[datznasty]

And there's still the rumor he told the Rockets he would be less difficult if they played him.

 

[gameover2]

I bet Houston wishes they did not draft him. Dude is a bum.

 

[Platinum State]

I bet Houston wishes they did not draft him. Dude is a bum.

Exactly. Every team in the NBA knew about his condition. So why draft him? If I was a gm and knew that I would never consider taking him.

 

[donmega]

I bet Houston wishes they did not draft him. Dude is a bum.

Exactly. Every team in the NBA knew about his condition. So why draft him? If I was a gm and knew that I would never consider taking him.

I read on some article that the Rockets (Morey in particular) believe that drafting him wasn't that big of a risk as it somehow seems. For them it's still a low risk investment.

 

[jthagreat]

He's going to regret handling this the way he has

Im on Royce's side, and only one according to the vote, but he is handling it the wrong way.

its like he's fronting to become this bigger than all 'frontier(smen)' when he should strive to make change while also striving to fufill his obligation.

 

[big j 33]

From this same article Klosterman writes in a footnote

I also spoke with Daryl Morey, the Rockets general manager. He declined to make any on-the-record statements, but he seems to have a pretty reasonable view on White's potential future. Morey also mentioned that the true risk of selecting White was not as severe as many people think, since only about 20 percent of players drafted 16th overall end up having major NBA careers anyway.

 

[jthagreat]

like Lupe Fiasco.

have a valid point, and respect him for taking a stand, but goin about it irrationallly.

 

[AZwildcats]

He needs to shut the hell up and play. There is only so much an employer can accommodate an employee, eventually he has to see how good he has it. I would never have drafted this clown

 

[The_Isomotion31]

Anxiety and Panic sucks. I use breathing techniques and exercise to get me through. But honestly the opportunity of a life time to play in the NBA should be able to propel this dude to combat his illness and take strides to getting better.


But if his condition is really that bad to the extent that he would be willing to ruin his chances than try harder to overcome....I really hope he gets better.

 

[manifresh]

Dude is messing up his chances to play in the nba..if his illness is that bad he shouldve never put himself in the draft

 

[frink85]

this guy does have a mental illness...he's delusional

What if stress is just part of it?

What does that mean, "It's just part of it"? That's like saying people getting killed is just part of war.

But people getting killed is part of war. That's the downside of war.

It doesn't have to be, though. We choose that. When you say, "That's just part of it," it implies that this is natural. Volcanoes don't kill human beings. Volcanoes kill human beings because human beings build houses right next to them.

Yes. But when I ask, "What if stress is just part of it?" I'm really asking, "What if it's just part of the choice that society has made?" It may be problematic, but what if we've all agreed that this problematic thing is part of the experience of being involved in a rarefied profession?

That's fine. But don't act like this wasn't a choice.

So what would you have done if, upon drafting you, the Rockets had said this: "Look — this is going to be hard for you. It might, in fact, be detrimental. But that is just part of competing at this sport at this level."

You can't do that, though. You can't discriminate against somebody, because that's ADA law. People say I'm getting special treatment, but it's the NBA who wants special treatment. They want to say they're this rarefied profession where laws don't apply. But ADA law is federal. I've always said the NBA should have a mental health policy

of course there is a choice...its YOUR CHOICE. you chose to become a basketball player, knowing the stressors involved. Guess what? Every job that ever existed has natural stressors.

And bringing the ADA in the argument ****. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/12112

(5)
(A) not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless such covered entity can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the business of such covered entity

now im not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the Rockets have tried to be accomodating, between providing personal care to personal travel provisions. which he has rejected and slammed every time. at least try to want to find a resolution...mediation fool.

last point, he comes off as wanting to be some kind of hero/martyr. how about actually doing something to show that you are equal or better than others without your condition, and working towards building something instead of crying on twitter every week?

 

[sooperhooper]

As much as I sympathize with his condition, a team is not obligated to accommodate to certain needs. He views this as the team bring insensitive but it's just real life.

 

[MON5T3R]

As someone who has been taking meds and going to therapy for over 2 years for anxiety/panic attacks I understand what he goes through but I dont side with him. From the outside looking in, he is being so counterproductive with his therapy by wanting to be evaluated before practices and games to see if he is mentally fit to play. Hes making excuses for himself before he even bothered to see whether or not he would be able to practice normally or attend a game without getting anxiety or having a panic attack. If its that bad for him he should be working at it little by little if anything to get used to it instead he said hes practiced maybe once a week... the ****? Id love to know who his therapist is thats letting him make excuses for himself because my therapist would definitely have addressed that as a problem and either switched up my medication because it wasnt working or worked with me so id be able to do something more comfortably.

 

[jjs07]

I sympathize with him up to a point. However, makes ZERO sense for him not to work on his game right now. It's flat out idiotic.

 

[awwsome]

I sympathize with him up to a point. However, makes ZERO sense for him not to work on his game right now. It's flat out idiotic.

Yea I don't get that at all, "shooting maybe once a week" ******g serious? With all this time away he could've sharpened his game at least.

 

[dman14]

so this kid is officially done? anyone know what happened after he got waived from the sixers?

 

[do work son]

I think he's done. At some point it began to feel like he was just using his illness as a crutch to be irresponsible. i don't doubt the effects of having heavy anxiety, i know them very well actually. it's a very large burden to bear. refusing to play for the d league team was pretty telling. he also handled everything very unprofessionally. posting things on twitter instead of handling it in house. we really wasted a pick on him