BleedGopher
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per Global News out of Canada:
The National Basketball League of Canada has handed down London Lightning star Royce White an 11-game suspension due to “conduct detrimental to the league.”
The suspension came down Friday, after White confronted League deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson in St. John’s during game five of the best-of-seven Central Division final Thursday, pitting the Lightning against St. John’s Edge.
“The actions of Mr. White are not representative of NBL Canada are considered to be conduct detrimental to the league,” said deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson.
White fouled out with a little more than four minutes left in the game, and proceeded to confront Stephenson, even shaking his finger at him. According to Lightning coach Keith Vasell, White was upset at the non-calls by the officiating crew.
It was not the first time White has confronted Stephenson. In a game at Budweiser Gardens last month, White walked across the floor and had words with Stephenson.
The suspension will be the fifth this year for White. He’s also been fined at least once.
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
https://globalnews.ca/news/4174723/...d-after-altercation-with-deputy-commissioner/
London Free Press: Lightning leave White's turbulence behind
The London Lightning are moving on.
They are moving on not only to the National Basketball League of Canada championship, but moving on from their star player.
They are saying goodbye to Royce White, a man who has turned into perhaps the most polarizing athlete the city has ever seen; a man who was instrumental in winning them a third National Basketball League of Canada championship last year; and a man who has put the Lightning and NBL in the national spotlight both in a positive and negative fashion.
Wherever White has been he leaves behind a maelstrom of opinion, a ragged emotional edge that leaves those who have been in contact with them feeling like they survived an event of some sort, whether fulfilling or traumatic.
White is without question one of the most interesting athletes to come through London. He arrived here carrying the reputation of a No. 1 NBA draft pick that took on a system that wouldn’t acknowledge mental health issues, and he leaves here solidifying his reputation as an enormously talented basketball player with a personality that refused to avoid confrontation; that was incapable of acknowledging the possibility that he might be wrong; and that kept controversies alive because of his belief in his arguments. The result — especially this year — were volcanic moments that publicly embarrassed the league and the Lightning.
There is much debate about whether the 10-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league was an overreaction to the league, especially since it was spawned because White confronted NBL deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson publicly during Game 5 of the St. John’s Edge series. The official announcement indicated the suspension was about that confrontation, captured prominently on social media.
The reality is something different. White wore out his welcome. The accumulation of his on-court behaviour, criticism of the league and the officials led to the heavy suspension. No matter what the league says, it was not about one incident. What’s more telling is the Lightning’s refusal to appeal the decision. The league approved the suspension, and appealing might not have changed anything, but the appearance is that even the Lightning just wanted to put the incident behind them.
Either it was too difficult for the Lightning to reel him in, or until things got truly out of control, they didn’t think to do it.
http://lfpress.com/sports/basketball/london-lightning/lightning-leave-whites-turbulence-behind
Go Gophers!!
The National Basketball League of Canada has handed down London Lightning star Royce White an 11-game suspension due to “conduct detrimental to the league.”
The suspension came down Friday, after White confronted League deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson in St. John’s during game five of the best-of-seven Central Division final Thursday, pitting the Lightning against St. John’s Edge.
“The actions of Mr. White are not representative of NBL Canada are considered to be conduct detrimental to the league,” said deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson.
White fouled out with a little more than four minutes left in the game, and proceeded to confront Stephenson, even shaking his finger at him. According to Lightning coach Keith Vasell, White was upset at the non-calls by the officiating crew.
It was not the first time White has confronted Stephenson. In a game at Budweiser Gardens last month, White walked across the floor and had words with Stephenson.
The suspension will be the fifth this year for White. He’s also been fined at least once.
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
https://globalnews.ca/news/4174723/...d-after-altercation-with-deputy-commissioner/
London Free Press: Lightning leave White's turbulence behind
The London Lightning are moving on.
They are moving on not only to the National Basketball League of Canada championship, but moving on from their star player.
They are saying goodbye to Royce White, a man who has turned into perhaps the most polarizing athlete the city has ever seen; a man who was instrumental in winning them a third National Basketball League of Canada championship last year; and a man who has put the Lightning and NBL in the national spotlight both in a positive and negative fashion.
Wherever White has been he leaves behind a maelstrom of opinion, a ragged emotional edge that leaves those who have been in contact with them feeling like they survived an event of some sort, whether fulfilling or traumatic.
White is without question one of the most interesting athletes to come through London. He arrived here carrying the reputation of a No. 1 NBA draft pick that took on a system that wouldn’t acknowledge mental health issues, and he leaves here solidifying his reputation as an enormously talented basketball player with a personality that refused to avoid confrontation; that was incapable of acknowledging the possibility that he might be wrong; and that kept controversies alive because of his belief in his arguments. The result — especially this year — were volcanic moments that publicly embarrassed the league and the Lightning.
There is much debate about whether the 10-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league was an overreaction to the league, especially since it was spawned because White confronted NBL deputy commissioner Audley Stephenson publicly during Game 5 of the St. John’s Edge series. The official announcement indicated the suspension was about that confrontation, captured prominently on social media.
The reality is something different. White wore out his welcome. The accumulation of his on-court behaviour, criticism of the league and the officials led to the heavy suspension. No matter what the league says, it was not about one incident. What’s more telling is the Lightning’s refusal to appeal the decision. The league approved the suspension, and appealing might not have changed anything, but the appearance is that even the Lightning just wanted to put the incident behind them.
Either it was too difficult for the Lightning to reel him in, or until things got truly out of control, they didn’t think to do it.
http://lfpress.com/sports/basketball/london-lightning/lightning-leave-whites-turbulence-behind
Go Gophers!!
