Thursday, April 28, 2016
Royce White...What Resources Should He Get?
Royce White was one of the best college basketball players in his time at Iowa State, home of the Cyclones. He claims he needs a personal doctor in order to be comfortable to play. I first heard of the story before we watched in class, and I thought he was being a poor sport about it, and didn't understand why he wouldn't play...He's in the NBA! Hearing him talk for the first time really changed my perspective on the issue. For starters I think he is a major voice not just for the NBA, but all of professional sports. He is one of the first people to speak out about this issue, similar to a Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in the NBA and all professional sports. It hit me the hardest hearing him say his illness is the same as a physical disability, that's when I first really to understand this is a major problem. I feel if he is on the NBA roster he deserves the right to a personal doctor if he is diagnosed with depression or similar issues. I understand NBA teams may avoid him because of this issue, but if he is signed, he deserves what he needs in order to preform.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
While having a personal doctor who specializes in mental health is a reasonable request for Royce, it may be his other requests that ultimately lead to his suspension. He sent in a four page request after missing the first day of the season and before even meeting the coach. In that form, he asked for the team to buy him a personal bus, which they did. However, he has been missing almost every practice and every game, even without a personal doctor. This makes me question how necessary the doctor would be, as he is already missing nearly all of the practices without the doctor's advice. (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8459655/royce-white-absent-houston-rockets-cites-mental-health)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. A pro athlete should have all the resources he needs in order it succeed without being selfish. White wasn't even being selfish because he was asking for a team doctor not a personal doctor.
ReplyDelete