Former NBA player Royce White wins GOP Senate primary in Minnesota

Former NBA player Royce White wins GOP Senate primary in Minnesota

White, a first-round pick in 2012, played three games with the Kings during the 2013-14 season

By Jack Maloney Aug 14, 2024 at 2:44 pm ET • 1 min read

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Former NBA player Royce White won the Republican senate primary race in Minnesota on Tuesday, defeating Navy veteran Joe Fraser. White will now challenge Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has held the seat since 2007, in November. 

This is not White’s first foray into the political scene. He attempted to run against Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in 2022, but lost the Republican primary that year. Since then, White has found himself under fire for derogatory comments about women, Jewish people and the LGBT community, promoting conspiracy theories and misappropriating campaign funds. 

White, who was born in Minneapolis and was named Mr. Basketball in Minnesota in 2009, was selected No. 16 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. His rookie season was derailed by his fear of flying and other mental health matters that led to a dispute between himself and the team. He never played for the Rockets, but did briefly suit up for their G League affiliate. 

In the summer of 2013, White was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, who waived him before he ever played for the team. He later signed multiple 10-day contracts with the Sacramento Kings and appeared in three games that season, accumulating no stats beyond one missed shot and two fouls. 

White later played in the Canadian NBL, where he won MVP in 2017, and in the BIG3. He also had one professional MMA fight in 2021, which he lost. 

Election day for the Senate race between White and Klobuchar is set for Nov. 5.