Filmmaker Jonathan Hock's eight-minute mini-documentary on former Minnesota high school basketball star Royce White was released this week on the Grantland Network's YouTube channel and it is, without a doubt, worth your time to watch.
In the video, White talks about his anxiety disorder -- the panic attacks where "it feels like your dying" -- and shows the unease that he felt about being in the spotlight on the night of the June NBA draft, which he followed from the office of Iowa State basketball coach (and former Timberwolves executive and player) Fred Hoiberg.
At one point, his agent is talking to him on the phone, listing all of the teams that aren't willing to risk drafting White, who led Iowa State to the second round of the NCAA tournament last March and then announced that he would turn pro rather than return for a second year in Ames, where he went after parting ways with the Gophers after a troubled season.
The agent tells White that Houston is his main hope.
"The rest of the (Rockets draft) room, other than (coach Kevin) McHale, says you're too risky."
But McHale prevailed and White will begin training camp with Houston in a few weeks.
