One former player is trying to go from the NBA to Capitol Hill.
Ex-NBA forward Royce White announced on Tuesday that he is running for a congressional seat in his home state of Minnesota. White will be running as a Republican in the state’s 5th District and will challenge incumbent Democrat Representative Ilhan Omar.
Today I’m officially announcing that I will be running for Congress in MN-CD5 against Ilhan Omar. It’s time to clean house. God Bless America! The Fight Continues… #Godspeed pic.twitter.com/Wx3GLZ8AcY
— Royce White 🇺🇸 (@Highway_30) February 22, 2022
The 30-year-old White was a first-round pick for the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft. But his NBA career never got off the ground due to mental health issues, which White was very open about sharing. White never made a single appearance for the Rockets, was traded away in 2013, and ended up playing only three total games in the NBA.
Since his NBA career ended, White has taken on several different pursuits, including a very brief MMA stint. He has also been outspoken on various social issues, including raising awareness about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China during his time in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league.
Salute Royce White, one of the few American athletes to talk about the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/r41bMxZ9pa
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) July 13, 2021
White’s bid for Congress will be decided in the general election on Nov. 8. He becomes the latest basketball figure to mount an unlikely House of Representatives run after this one-time candidate.
Photo: July 18, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets forward Royce White (30) during the first half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
