His requests fell on deaf ears and he was no longer “quirky” – he was “problematic.”
Nine years after being a first-round draft pick, White never logged a single rebound, point or assist in the NBA. Did White become the biggest bust in NBA history, deeming his cause a waste of time? White explains that skill has nothing to do with it. He was blackballed for a lack of capitalization opportunity for the league.
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“We live by a false dogma in America especially the ‘if you’re the best player then they’ll come get you’; ‘if you’re the best they’ll make an exception.’ No, they won’t,” White explained. “It depends on who you are; it depends on what kind of divergence you are. If you’re a divergence, they feel they can capitalize on then it’s welcomed but if it’s a divergence that becomes a problem or they think is going to be disruptive, then you’re expendable.”
White has accepted that he will never play in the NBA, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. Playing professionally now for the Big3, he’s been able to take advantage of an opportunity to pursue a career in another sport he loves for the first time: MMA.