It’s time to offer insight into the life of another former NBA and current BIG3 player. The person that intrigues the most basketball audience right now. Maybe you have already had thoughts about who is this person. I will help right away- Royce White.
Royce is an absolutely important figure for basketball, but also for the life of every person on the planet. Who is Royce White? Does he know that? Let’s get ready to rumble!
What Royce White suffers from?
When he was 16 years, old White started having strong panic attacks. The doctor finally made a diagnosis- generalized anxiety disorder. Royce was a senior at Hopkins High in Minnesota back then. Royce White was taking 20 mg of medicine every single day to treat his anxiety attacks. One of the biggest problems he faced was a fear of flying.
His strong efforts on raising awareness about psychological problems are very famous nowadays. We can say freely that he was the first player who openly spoke about mental problems which players are facing in basketball. The hero of our story is a public speaker who helps others in fighting for themselves.
What were his beginnings in professional basketball?
White was chosen by Houston Rockets in the summer draft in 2012 with the 16th selection. Royce soon found out that NBA was lacking mental health policy and things started to complicate between Houston and him. The player missed the start of the season and NBA camp due to disagreement with the authorities of NBA. His doctor and he were pursuing authorization from Rockets to travel by bus in order to reduce flights to a minimum.
They agreed on that, but later Royce and Houston stopped the collaboration. The reason was a dispute over how the mental condition was handled. Rockets omitted his name from the roster for the 2013/2014 season.
What was his next station?
Officially, his next station was California. Royce White signed a 10-days contract with Sacramento Kings in March of 2014.
Royce made his debut in Sacrament playing only for 56 seconds. His one missed shot was the only thing in a loss against San Antonio Spurs. White didn’t have any recorded statistics in that game.
The final fixture he played in a defeat against New York Knicks. Royce White committed two fouls during seven minutes on the court. That was all of the statistics made for him. This game was supposed to be his last as Sacramento decided to finish cooperation with him after ten days. It was time for finding another team.
Where did Royce go next?
On December 8, 2016, Royce made deal with the Canadian club London Lightning. In that season, he set a record for several triple-doubles – 4 plus one made in a playoff. White finished the season as MVP of the regular part of the season. Royce White led London Lightning to the 3 titles since the NBL Canada Championship was formed. In one game, he scored 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists.
The contract between him and the club was renewed for one more reason. In 2018, Royce had a hard verbal clash with the commissioner of the league. The team announced after that White will not be returning to the squad.
What happened with Royce White after that?
Royce White signed a deal with Auxilium Torino to play in the Italian league and Euro Cup. Royce didn’t make a report to the board of the Italian club for a training camp ahead of the beginning of the season. The Italian team didn’t like it. The contract was voided on August 23, 2018.
Where did Royce continue his career?
After unsuccessful years in basketball, White decided to make the transition into mixed martial arts in early 2019.
Royce White wrote the book “MMA x NBA, A Critique of Modern Sport in America”, but didn’t participate in the fights until 2021. Former NBA player took part in a fight finally and lost a decision in MMA to Daiqwon Buckley. Despite the defeat, it was not a bad performance by White.
How did he start his Big3 career?
Royce White was the overall first pick on the draft pool in 2019 chosen by Enemies. On the opening night of the 2019 season, Royce had been involved in an altercation with Josh Smith, the player of Bivouac. White was ejected from that game. Enemies finished that season on 11th place with 3 wins and 5 defeats.
How was the rest of the Big3 career for Royce White?
Power added Royce White to their squad in 2020. However, COVID 19 pandemic prolonged his debut performance for this team.
Royce had his first season in 2021 in Power’s shirt. Hero of our story played with famous Cuttino Mobley, Glen Davis, Dusan Bulut, and Joe Alexander. He was led by Nancy Lieberman, a famous women’s coach. White participated in eight games and Power finished the season with a 4-4 score. The team finished sixth on the Big3 standings and didn’t qualify for a playoff.
Where did Royce play in 2022?
White stayed in Power in 2022 to try to win the second trophy for Power. Nancy Lieberman picked Nikoloz Tskitishvili after Big3 Combine ahead of the new season. This club brought Glen Rice Jr. and TJ Cline into the draft pool.
Power finished the regular part of the season with 5 victories and 3 defeats. It was enough for third place and a spot in Final Four. Royce White played a significant role in motivating his teammates in the locker room before and after the fixtures. His passing abilities, hustle, and versatility improved a Power’s game a lot.
What does Royce White do for people with mental struggles?
Royce continued to advocate for people with mental problems after NBA career despite it looked like improvement is not possible. White thought the NBA stage is the best opportunity and space to bring the topic of mental health to an open and transparent conversation.
Many players got the courage to speak about inner battles nowadays after Royce White gave the example. The most prestigious 5×5 basketball league is showing progress toward reforms in mental health policies. Coaches and general managers are following more and more Royce White in the fight for the rights of mentally diseased players.
What is Royce White doing out of court?
At the beginning of 2022, Royce White stated that he would run for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. Royce finished second in the Republic Primary.
White was also involved in protests all over the country regarding the murder of George Floyd. He was protesting against the Uyghur genocide and pleading for the release of 2 million Uyghurs from concentration camps.
His open declaration about many controversial topics was attracting media attention. Four books were released by him and many famous persons refer to him as a populist thought leader.
It seems like everything is black and white to the hero of our story. When you watch Royce White’s profile is like seeing two people in one. One person is having an aggressive and impulsive approach to life that many find intimidating. The second is a silent and peaceful spirit inside him that likes to help and be compassionate to the problems of other people.
Royce described that his everyday struggles are making him a better human being. White maybe didn’t succeed in NBA. The harder and bigger battle is won because of his courage. Battle for his identity, enthusiasm, independence, and freedom of expression.
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