Royce White tells Real Sports he will fight to play

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Suspended Houston Rockets rookie forward Royce White told HBO's Real Sports he understands he may never play in the NBA because of the complexities of his generalized anxiety disorder, yet said, "I'm not going to accept it without a fight."

In the nearly 16-minute segment, which airs on HBO Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (and at 10 p.m. PT), White admitted to reporter Bernard Goldberg that he has shown up for some team activities.

"I have not always showed up for practice, but every time I didn't show up for practice, it was a medical reason," White said.

White, who has dealt with mental illness for much of his life, compares his mental health to physical health, saying there is no difference between a player with a sprained ankle and player suffering from an anxiety attack. Neither are available to play or practice, White reasons.

"I'm sure they wouldn't want to hear that (Rockets guard) James Harden broke his ankle either." White told Goldberg. "But there's a health reality that exists."

The Rockets selected White No. 16 overall, committing $3.36 million in salary to him this season and in 2013-14. So far, White has not played a regular-season game for the Rockets, and when the two sides hit an impasse, Houston suspended him without pay on Jan. 6 "for refusing to provide services as required by his Uniform Players Contract."

The Rockets knew of White's well-document anxiety disorder before they drafted him, and both sides believed they could make it work. However, White wants the Rockets to agree to a medical health protocol, which calls for a neutral doctor to make decisions based on what's best for White's mental health.

White reveals a passionate defense of mental health and courageous willingness to fight what he believes is right. He has done that often on Twitter in the past two months. But he has also frustrated fans – and the Rockets – with his adamant position.

The Rockets, who have remained very quiet about the situation, have declined to accept White's terms. They are committed to making it work.

White has a fear of flying and told Real Sports: "I get nervous when people even talk about planes. That's how bad my plane anxiety is actually."

However, White traveled by plane for several of his games for Iowa State last season, including a preseason trip to Italy in the summer of 2011. White maintains he had complete trust in the Iowa State staff. He does not yet have that same trust with the Houston Rockets.

Goldberg said that if Houston agreed to the mental health protocol, White said it's likely he would be available for every game.

"If I was to play in the NBA now as it is without the protocols, without the safety measures, I would be risking my health. I would be risking my life," White said. "What comes along with mental health that goes untreated? Alcohol abuse. Marijuana abuse. Suicidal behavior. Homicidal behavior. Those are things I'm not willing to risk to play basketball, to have money, to have fame."

Considering the Rockets (22-21) are fighting for a playoff spot – in eighth spot in the West, one game ahead Portland and one game behind Utah – they will take their time resolving the situation, potentially waiting until the offseason to establish a fresh start with White.