The NBA is forever evolving, which is why its popularity worldwide has no limits. As the years continue to pass, along with them are old traditions. Such as ostracizing homosexuals, or demonizing an athlete for having mental struggles, Royce White knows all about that one too well. Royce White, the once electric teenager who dazzled at DeLaSalle and Hopkins high schools, has found a new purpose, and it started years ago. In 2012, Royce White was selected 12 overall by the Houston Rockets, however it was not a normal rookie transition. In fact, shortly after being drafted he got into a heated exchange with the Houston Rockets, White was insisting that the team, and the NBA, address his mental-health issues. White would later move on from the Rockets, bounce around the league for a year, and was out of the NBA. In a new interview with Yahoo’s Dan Devine he explains the hypocrisy of the NBA and its star players.
“Let’s take Ron Artest, Delonte West, Eddie Griffin, Latrell Sprewell, Jason Williams, Chris Herren — a number of people who toed the line between mental health and substance abuse, which is a co-morbid line, which they know. […]
“So the question becomes, what did they do in light of those cases? And the next question becomes, if it’s not about the faces — if it’s about the public support of the faces, or the public wave that’s going to move the progress — then it’s a sensationalized progress, and then, again, it’s not genuine, in my opinion.”
White bounced around the league and eventually ended up playing in Canada. He was signed by the London Lightning in Canada, where he was the league’s MVP last year.
Flip the page to see the trailer for an exclusive 15 minute episode of HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.” where Royce White opens up about his reaction to Kevin Love and Demar DeRozan. The entire episode premieres at 9 p.m. Tuesday on HBO, but catch a sneak peek here.