Royce White talks with ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf about his decision to miss the start of the Houston Rockets' training camp while he tries to work out a deal that would allow him to travel to some games by bus.
Before he's willing to start training camp, Houston Rockets rookie Royce White wants the team's permission to travel to some games by private bus, the former Iowa State star told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.
White's fear of flying, he said, magnifies his anxiety disorder. So he's asked the Rockets to let him use a bus for some of the team's extensive road trips. White said he's willing to purchase the bus and assume liability.
White Busing to games, he said, is a vital component in the treatment of his anxiety.
White, who missed the team's media day on Monday and the start of training camp in McAllen, Texas, on Tuesday, said he hopes to reach an agreement with the team soon. He said he expects to join his teammates within "a week," if talks with the Rockets continue to progress.
"What it's going to look like is every game that's drivable, I'm going to get a bus for myself," White said. "And I'm going to make that bus feel like home so that there's a level of consistency in a job where inconsistency is very apparent because of the schedule. I'm going to try and level that out and make sure that my stress levels stay low and that my rest is regular and that my meals are regular and that as much as I can, draw consistency from a very inconsistent schedule. ...
"People with mental illness, one of the most important things is that they have that consistency and routine. The girth of (my request) was, 'Can I travel by bus to close enough games?' "
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it's they fault if they didn't have precautions. I have a feeling they took the anxiety shyt lightly and expected him to just "man up". Which is an embarrassing stance from an organization.
