Ex-NBA player Royce White wins GOP Senate primary

Field Level Media|published: Wed 14th August, 10:47 2024

Jul 31, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Power forward Royce White (30) shoots a free throw against Killer 3 during week four of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Aric Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Former NBA player Royce White won the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Minnesota on Tuesday.

He defeated Joe Fraser and will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the November election.

White, 33, previously lost in the 2022 GOP primary for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Drafted in the first round (16th overall) by Houston in 2012, the 6-foot-8 forward never played for the Rockets after disclosing mental health issues and indicating he would not fly to road games.

White appeared in only three NBA games with the Sacramento Kings in March 2014, recording no points, assists or rebounds in nine total minutes.

He also played in the NBA G League and NBL Canada, where he earned league MVP honors in 2017 and won two championships (2017, 2018) with the London Lightning.

White will be a major underdog against Klobuchar, who has been in the Senate since 2007. As a Black candidate, White has argued that he can broaden the Republican party's base by appealing to Minnesota voters of color.

He sparked controversy last year by saying "women have become too mouthy" during an appearance on former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon's "War Room" show.

--Field Level Media