Sixers’ White looking for second chance

Royce White (30) suffers from an anxiety disorder and had been accused of rape not that long ago.

Royce White might just be the most fascinating player on the Sixers’ roster.

The 6-foot-8 forward suffers from an anxiety disorder and never played for the Houston Rockets, instead competing in 16 games in the D-League last season.
Flying was a major sticking point last season, but not now. White said he plans on traveling with the Sixers for exhibition games in Bilbao, Spain, and Manchester, England.

“I plan on it,” White said. “I think the biggest misconception with me was that I wouldn’t fly and that I couldn’t fly. I can fly. I’ll drive when I can and there has been very open communication between myself and the Sixers. They’ve been very open the whole way.”

White was selected by the Rockets with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2012 draft after playing one season at Minnesota and one season at Iowa State.

His NBA career has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. The slate is clean here with the Sixers.

“I’m an unselfish player,” said White, who led Iowa State in scoring (13.4) and rebounding (9.3) in that one season. “I like to get my teammates involved, and I get a personal gain out of getting guys open shots. That’s what I try to do during games and that’s what makes me happy. I think guys like that, you can always find a place for and hopefully I’ll be able to do some of that.”

There are no guarantees for White. He’s just happy to get another chance to live out his dream of being a professional basketball player. The skills are evident and he could be that wild card-type of player who thrives with this opportunity.

“I’m excited to have this chance,” White said. “I’m not saying I don’t deserve a chance, but we all know how it goes. There’s other people out there who can play and want to play. I’m just happy to be here and hopefully we can find an arrangement that works here in Philly. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I know I have to go out there on the court and earn everything. I plan on doing just that and show they made a great choice in getting me here.”