ESPN focused on former first-round draft pick Royce White in the latest episode of the company’s E:60 series. The episode focuses on White’s battle with mental health. Guys like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan are being lauded for speaking about their mental health, so ESPN wanted to focus on White, whose problems came before mental wellness was a hot topic. In the promo clip for the episode, White says “I’m one of the best five players on the planet.”
Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan reveal their struggles with mental health and change the game.
The player who started the conversation six years ago had a completely different outcome…. pic.twitter.com/8lcG5BQeew— E:60 (@E60) May 2, 2018
White was recently suspended from the Canadian Basketball League for publicly calling the league’s deputy commissioner a “cornball.” White then doubled down and told the Des Moines Register “All I did was call the deputy commissioner a cornball, which he undoubtedly is.”
While at Iowa State, White publicly disclosed his Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The Houston Rockets drafted him 16th overall. In his rookie season, White expressed his dissatisfaction with the NBA’s lack of a mental-health policy. Due to that stance, and his anxiety about flying, White never played for the Rockets. His NBA career has consisted of nine total minutes played for the Sacramento Kings, with two fouls and one missed shot attempt.
