Basketball Player With Short-Lived NBA Career Tries Luck Inside MMA Cage

Another former NBA player will be trying to strut his wares in the combat sports arena, and it will happen this Friday, December 10 under mixed martial arts (MMA) rules.

Royce White, a name that NBA fans may hardly remember, will make his debut at LFA 120, which is set to take place at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

White started his transition to mixed martial arts in 2019. This happened when he announced his book titled “MMA x NBA, A Critique of Modern Sport in America.”

White may be a virtual unknown to most, but he was the 16th round pick of the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft.

He never played a single game for the Rockets in his rookie season. He officially got to play in the league with the Sacramento Kings.

Unfortunately, that stint with the Kings was hardly relevant.

His last NBA appearance was during the 2013-14 season, and his only notable statistic was committing two fouls in seven minutes of action.

After his second 10-day contract with the Kings expired, no new offers came.

In his maiden cage assignment, the 30-year-old will take on ex-football player Daiqwon Buckley.

Buckley previously played football for Temple University. Compared to White, he has already competed inside the cage and split his two appearances, MMA Junkie reported.

Buckley lost in his debut against Lance Moore at PA Cage Fight 25 in August 2016, but he bounced back in his second outing by submitting Austin Swoyer in the third round at PA Cage Fight 28 in April 2017.

Like White, other NBA players have already made the jump to the combat sports scene. That list includes Nate Robinson, Lamar Odom and Deron Williams.

White’s MMA debut will come roughly a week before Williams faces ex-NFL player Frank Gore in a four-round heavyweight boxing bout, one of the featured attractions on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley showdown.