The Rockets' 2012 pick of Iowa State power forward Royce White with the 16th pick in the NBA Draft is among the nine worst first-round picks of the past decade, according to cleveland.com's Nathaniel Cline.
After averaging nearly a double-double in his junior year with the Cyclones (13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds), White skipped his senior season to enter the NBA Draft. The Rockets selected him in the middle of the first round, and the pick was quickly deemed a "reach" by some NBA draft experts, given White's similar game to Rockets' then-rookie Chandler Parsons.
Adding to the puzzling nature of the pick was the fact that White had generalized anxiety disorder and was afraid of flying. By January 2013, the Rockets had suspended White for breach of contract after he refused to report to Houston's D-League affiliate following his inability to join the team on the road. White never played for Houston, and only played three games in his NBA career -- all for the Sacramento Kings in the 2013-14 season.
While White was a bust as an NBA player, he has made a name for himself as an outspoken advocate for mental health treatment, specifically for generalized anxiety disorder. He is the CEO and founder of Anxious Media, Inc., an organization dedicated to the global acceptance and progress of mental health.
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