Royce White, a former NBA player, emerged victorious in the Republican senate primary race in Minnesota, defeating Navy veteran Joe Fraser. White is now gearing up to challenge Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has held the seat since 2007, in the upcoming November election.
This isn’t White’s first venture into the political arena. In 2022, he made an unsuccessful attempt to run against Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Since then, White has faced criticism for making derogatory remarks about women, Jewish individuals, and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as for promoting conspiracy theories and mishandling campaign funds.
Born in Minneapolis and recognized as Mr. Basketball in Minnesota in 2009, White was drafted 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft. However, his rookie season was plagued by his fear of flying and other mental health issues, leading to a dispute with the team. As a result, he never played for the Rockets but briefly competed for their G League affiliate.
In the summer of 2013, White was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, who waived him before he could take the court for them. He then had brief stints with the Sacramento Kings, playing in three games that season but making no significant contributions on the stat sheet.
Subsequently, White ventured into the Canadian NBL, where he earned MVP honors in 2017, and participated in the BIG3 league. In 2021, he even tried his hand at professional MMA, albeit suffering a defeat.
The showdown between White and Klobuchar for the Senate seat is scheduled for November 5.