"This the dude that’s afraid of planes?" - NBA fans ridicule Houston Rockets' 2012 1st round pick announcing candidacy for US Senate
The Houston Rockets drafted Royce White in 2012, but the former NBA player did not play a single game for the team. Due to his reportedly severe fear of flying, White failed to play for the Rockets. He only competed in three NBA games in his career, all of which came with the Sacramento Kings.
Recently, it was reported that the 2009 Minnesota Mr. Basketball had announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) took notice of the news and trolled the player on social media.
Taking a dig at White, most fans on X highlighted his fear of flying and wondered how he would travel for his campaigns. Here are some reactions from the fans:
"The guy who’s scared of planes?"
"How is he going to travel to his voters?"
"As a rockets fan, please dont ever post him. bruh literally made us waste a pick, for being scared of getting on airplanes???"
"I remember this the bro who was scared of flying."
"Nope need a leader who can get on planes to handle crisis."
"How is he going to campaign effectively if he can't fly on a plane."
"Who wants a guy who is scared to fly on the senate."
"Does bro realize he may have to get in a plane."
"He couldn’t show up to a game, now he expects people to vote for him to show up to work."
Who is Royce White and how did he play for Houston Rockets
White, a Minneapolis, Minnesota native, was selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Many considered him ineligible for the draft due to his legal issues and a severe case of fear of flying.
However, when the Iowa State alum was drafted, he already had an NBA body and was widely considered one of the best in the country at point-forward position.
Later, at his request, the Rockets and Royce White agreed to his travel, allowing him to travel by personal bus rather than flying and reducing his flight schedule. However, even before the agreement was put in place, the player missed the first week of his training camp.
Previously, when playing with the Iowa State, White tried to cope with the travel by reportedly using Benadryl and Xanax. However, fearing that it would become an addiction for him, he left consuming them and avoided flight travel.