Royce White was not all that long ago one of the brightest stars in the world of college basketball. Eventually, he was drafted as the 16th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
White's time in the National Basketball Association didn't necessarily go the way he or others thought it would. So he has also pursued other interests, becoming active in other pursuits. Which now officially includes politics.
Running for a seat in the United States House of Representatives
Royce White has announced that he's a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
White is running for the Republican nomination for the 5th District of Minnesota seat. The District includes Minneapolis.
It's currently represented by the controversial Democrat Ilhan Omar, an intensely polarizing figure.
White has not run for a public office before. He is a native of Minneapolis. There, he attended and played basketball for two high schools, DeLaSalle and Hopkins. He would help teams at each school win a state championship.
White's college basketball career was initially supposed to begin in earnest nearby with the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Unfortunately, his time with Minnesota would be marked by his involvement in multiple legal issues. One of which led to him being suspended for the upcoming basketball season.
White would get his act together in his personal life. And while he scored good grades during his brief stay at Minnesota, he would still ultimately transfer away.
In the end, White would settle in at Iowa State University. He became regarded as one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference with his new team. And one of the best college basketball players in the country overall.
Became a professional basketball player
The Houston Rockets would select Royce White in the NBA Draft. He was sent to the Rockets' now-G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
However, White's ability to contribute to the team would be hampered by problems with generalized anxiety disorder. The anxiety issues apparently became a particular problem when it came to traveling.
The Rockets eventually traded White to the Philadelphia 76ers. But his health problems would continue to persist, leading to him being waived by the team. Afterward, he got another chance when the Sacramento Kings signed him.
At first, he was sent to the Kings' now-G League affiliate, Reno Bighorns, now the Stockton Kings. Later, he was called up by the big team, with whom he briefly got to play in the NBA.
Aside from playing for the Los Angeles Clippers during the Summer League, White's NBA career didn't go much further. He got to chance to continue playing professionally with the London Lightning of the NBL Canada.
White was named the league's MVP in 2017. That year, he helped the Lightning with the league championship.
But an altercation with parties that included the NBL's deputy commissioner the following year derailed his path again. White later signed with an Italian team but would not actually play with them.
Other pro basketball players have gone into politics
Several figures connected to the NBA, players and otherwise, have become politicians. If he were to become successful in his campaign, Royce White would not be the first on the path.
At least three other former professional basketball players have later been elected to Congress. Hall of Famer Bill Bradley would be elected to the United States Senate from New Jersey. Mo Udall was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona. He would go on to be chairman of the House Interior Committee.
Finally, Tom McMillen was also a member of the U.S. House from Maryland.
White is not the first former NBA player to seek a U.S. House seat from Minnesota. Legendary Hall of Fame player George Mikan was the Republican nominee in Minnesota's 3rd District. He would lose to Democratic incumbent Roy Wier.
