Rookie White wants to stay with Rockets
Rookie forward Royce White has yet to play for the Houston Rockets this season and doesn't foresee it happening unless the team and the NBA establish a plan to assist players with mental-health issues.
White, the Rockets' first-round draft pick, has struggled with an anxiety disorder that affected his college career at Minnesota and Iowa State. There were questions before the 2012 draft about his issues, but the Rockets decided to take a gamble based on his talent.
He said he doesn't blame the Rockets and would like to stay with the organization.
"The reality is that it is not Houston's fault," White told SiriusXM radio. "As much as we always want to try and blame one side or the other. They've been thrown into a position now where they're forced to make things up as they go because a protocol has not been put in place for mental health up until this point."
White has a fear of flying and has worked with the team and experts on a treatment solution that could traveling to road games by bus or car. The Rockets have asked White to play with their NBA Development League team, but he hasn't honored their wishes.
"There's no mental health protocol here, for not only the Rockets but the entire league, really," White said on Sirius XM. "I expressed that that's really unsafe if you think about it. So, basically, I'm fighting to have that rectified. I just don't think it is OK or responsible or even logical to have GMs or any front-office personnel have executive authority in medical situations."
White, who played well for the Rockets' summer-league team, said in the interview that he's not demanding a trade.
"I don't really think going to another team is something that would be better," White said. "Since I've been here, the fans have been nothing but supportive -- that I've met in person. Twitter has been different."
