Royce White was a bust in the NBA. He’s hoping for a better career in mixed martial arts. The 27-year-old former first-round pick whose battle with anxiety marred his brief stint in the NBA, told ESPN on Wednesday he is switching sports, with his goal to compete in the UFC. “I’m one of the best athletes in the world,” White told ESPN. “Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC.” White was selected by Houston with the 16th overall pick in 2012, but never played with the Rockets as the two sides dealt with the mental-health issues White has spoken about publicly. His fear of flying led him to travel to games by bus. He eventually appeared in three games with the Kings in 2013-14 before playing professionally in Canada. The 6-foot-8 former power forward played at 270 pounds in the NBA and now says he’s been training for his new sport for “six or seven months” and is down to 250, which meets the UFC’s weight limit. White, who starred at Iowa State, released a book called “MMA x NBA: A Critique of Modern Sport in America.” “I’ve always been a fan of the fight game since I was young,” White said. “I played point guard as a 265-pounder in the NCAA. In order to do so, not only do you have to have great court vision, you have to have great tempo and great footwork. … Those things naturally translate to the fight game.”<doc-sep>Royce White, a former NBA Draft first-round selection of the Houston Rockets in 2012, is making the career transition into mixed martial arts, and he has some lofty goals to go along with the move. The 6-foot-8 White revealed to ESPN that he's entering the fight game, and he believes he has all the tools necessary to make this transition a smooth one. "I'm one of the best athletes in the world," White said. "Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC." In a book White released on Wednesday titled "MMA x NBA: A Critique of Modern Sport in America," White revealed that he's been training in MMA for the past "six or seven months." While promoting the release of his book, White told The Last Renaissance that he has his sights set on becoming the UFC heavyweight champion during this journey. "I'm coming for the UFC heavyweight crown," White stated. At this time, White doesn't appear to have a debut fight lined up within the amateur ranks. But if he should begin to make a name for himself on the circuit as an ex-NBA star, it won't be long before Dana White and Co. have the big man on the radar. White was the 16th overall pick by the Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft, though the extent of his NBA playing experience is limited to three games with the Sacramento Kings in the 2013-14 season. He's played both in the NBA Summer League and overseas during his brief professional basketball career.<doc-sep>Rocky Widner/Getty Images Former NBA player Royce White is ready to take his talents from the court to the Octagon. White recently told ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz (h/t ESPN's Greg Rosenstein) that he has his sights set on the UFC's heavyweight belt. "I'm one of the best athletes in the world," White told Arnovitz. "Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC." After putting up strong numbers at Iowa State (13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists), White was taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Houston Rockets. However, he never played a single minute for Houston. An anxiety disorder played a major role in his NBA career, and his fear of flying led to him needing to travel by bus for road games. He was suspended as a rookie as he engaged in a standoff with the Rockets over the lack of a mental health protocol. After spending the 2012-13 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the then-D League, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in July 2013 before he ever had the opportunity to put on a Rockets uniform in a regular-season game. White would not make his NBA debut until the 2013-14 season when he appeared in three games for the Sacramento Kings. He logged just nine minutes for the Kings, going 0-of-1 from the floor. Video Play Button Videos you might like The 6'8" forward has been out of the league since then, although he played for Canada's London Lightning from 2016 to 2018. He earned a pair of All-NBL Canada First Team first team honors, won the 2016-17 NBL Canada MVP award and led the league in scoring (25.4 ppg) last season. White's professional basketball career may not have gone as he had hoped, but he believes he can make the transition to MMA. Not only has he been training for the past "six or seven months," but he has been a fighting fan for years, per Arnovitz: "I've always been a fan of the fight game since I was young. I played point guard as a 265-pounder in the NCAA. In order to do so, not only do you have to have great court vision, you have to have great tempo and great footwork. "Those things naturally translate to the fight game. I'm excited about it, but more so than anything, I'm excited about learning this thing that I've loved from the sidelines for so long, and applying it." Arnovitz notes that White currently weighs in at 250 pounds, putting him well below the UFC's 265-pound limit for heavyweight fighters.<doc-sep>Former NBA player and Iowa State star Royce White is done with basketball. Now, he’s working toward a career in the UFC. (AP/Chris Szagola) Former NBA player and Iowa State star Royce White is done with basketball. Instead, the 27-year-old is preparing to jump into the MMA world. White, who released a book this month called “MMA x NBA: A Critique of Modern Sport in America,” told ESPN that he has been training for “six or seven months.” One day, he said, he feels he can compete for the UFC’s heavyweight belt. “I’m one of the best athletes in the world,” White told ESPN. “Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC.” White won Big 12 Player of the Year honors at Iowa State and was drafted No. 16 overall by the Houston Rockets. He reportedly clashed with the organization over the management of his widely publicized general anxiety disorder, which became a battleground during his 13-month stint in the NBA. He told Yahoo Sports that in 2012, Rockets personnel told him establishing a plan to manage his anxiety was “impossible.” White never played a game for the Rockets, and played just three games with the Sacramento Kings before he was let go. He played in the NBA Summer League, overseas and with the London Lightning in Canada’s National Basketball League ever since. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, White is currently 15 pounds shy of the UFC’s heavyweight limit. While transitioning from basketball to fighting will be no easy task, White said he’s been a fan of the MMA for years. And after his array of experience in the basketball world, he said he’s well equipped for the challenge. “I’ve always been a fan of the fight game since I was young,” White told ESPN. “I played point guard as a 265-pounder in the NCAA. In order to do so, not only do you have to have great court vision, you have to have great tempo and great footwork. “Those things naturally translate to the fight game. I’m excited about it, but more so than anything, I’m excited about learning this thing that I’ve loved from the sidelines for so long, and applying it.” More from Yahoo Sports: Sohi: Raptors, Celtics are similar teams heading in different directions What does Nolan Arenado’s extension mean for Bryce Harper? Shaq to LeBron’s trade-target teammates: ‘I never cried about it’ Cops seize Dak Prescott’s dog after it bites neighbor<doc-sep>
A former NBA player plans to try his hand at mixed martial arts. Royce White is transitioning to MMA from basketball, he recently said in an interview with ESPN. White, a first-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2012, said he believes he could one day fight for the UFC heavyweight title. He launched a book earlier this week called “MMA x NBA, A Critique of Modern Sport in America,” which details his move to the new sport. “I’m one of the best athletes in the world,” White said. “Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC.” White said he has been training in MMA for six or seven months, but as of now it is unclear when he will be ready to step inside the cage for the first time. White has been training at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, best known as the home of former UFC champions Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk, according to MMA Fighting. “I’ve always been a fan of the fight game since I was young,” White said. “I played point guard as a 265-pounder in the NCAA. In order to do so, not only do you have to have great court vision, you have to have great tempo and great footwork. ”Those things naturally translate to the fight game. I’m excited about it, but more so than anything, I’m excited about learning this thing that I’ve loved from the sidelines for so long, and applying it.” White, who’s 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, suffers from generalized anxiety syndrome and missed his rookie season because of the condition. He would go on to never play a game for the Rockets. He later played three games with the Sacramento Kings in the 2013-14 season, but was eventually let go. Most recently, White played for the London Lightning in NBL Canada, a league founded in 2011. He was the league MVP in 2017 after leading the Lightning to the championship. White, 27, became known after expressing concerns of a lack of a mental health policy within the NBA.