Royce White May Be Losing His Mind, But At Least He's Filming It

The troubled Gophers recruit announced he's leaving the team via a YouTube video. This would be news in itself. But the video itself is so cinematic, so convoluted, so generally bizarre...well, just watch.

The highly prized forward was Minnesota's top recruit, but never played a single game. In October he shoplifted $100 worth of clothes from the Mall Of America, and shoved a security guard. In November he was suspended from the team pending an investigation of a stolen laptop. I guess he's had a lot of time on his hands, because today he released this:

Yes, "The Last Interview" is quite the professional production, starting off with three minutes of White wandering the streets of Minneapolis, set to music. (The slow motion drive-by of Williams Arena is a particularly nice touch.) Then he explains that he's quitting the team to avoid putting his family and teammates through the stress of the ongoing investigation. Then, a photo slideshow of his life and career, again set to music.

The upshot (and upside) of the YouTube/Twitter world we live in is the firsthand access we get to our athletes. But I have to admit, watching a kid confused and frustrated at not being able to do the only thing he wants to do with his life is pretty uncomfortable.