Royce White refuses D-league assignment: NBA News
Royce White drama continues to grow further and further with both parties adamant about holding their ground. Houston Rockets first round draft pick Royce White has now refused the assignment to play for the Rockets D-league affiliate
franchise in another setback to his return to action.
White, the overall 16th draft pick has not featured for the Rockets on the court for about two months and maintains that unless the management conceives a proper schedule for him with the consultation of medical experts
that are familiar with his medical condition, he will not play.
The 6 foot 8 inch forward was drafted from the Iowa State where he helped his team to their first NCAA tournament berth in 7 years and was one of the start performers of the tournament. He led the Cyclones in scoring (13.4 points
a game), rebounds (9.3), assists (5.0), steals (1.2) and blocks (0.9) in the tournament.
He missed the first week of his training in order to fix a proper schedule for him that will allow him to manage his anxiety disorder syndrome. The Houston management agreed to his travelling by bus to some games till he overcomes
his fear of flying and his obsessive-compulsive disorder. He flew to Detroit for the season opener and then travelled by bus in their next two trips to Atlanta and Memphis.
However since then he has been away from his team and has not played a single game as well as missing the training sessions. He has remained vocal on social media and expressed his frustration to his fans a number of times in recent
weeks.
Meanwhile the Rockets have been going good so far this season, with James Harden and Jeremy Lin combining to make Rockets one of the most potent offensive teams in the league with the highest points per game average.
The Houston decision to offer him to Rio Grande Valley Vipers seemed as a positive step in his return to the court, but White released a 500 word statement Sunday where he clarified he will not accept the assignment.
"I have chosen to not play, because the doctors and I believe it to be unsafe for unqualified Rockets front office personnel to make medical decisions, as they are not mental health professionals," he said.
But despite his refusal to join the D-League he remains confident of returning to the court soon enough and hopes for the drama to end soon.
"I do wish to play, but I only intend to do so with the collaboration and recommendation of trained professionals, the purpose of a doctor's confirmation is to ensure that health decisions are made in the sole interest of health
and not conflicted with business".
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