As Fred Hoiberg sat in the upstairs office at the Sukup Basketball Complex with former ISU forward Royce White, his heart pounded.

After the 14th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft was made, Hoiberg’s phone buzzed with a text from his former NBA coach and front office co-worker, Kevin McHale, who is now the head coach of the Houston Rockets.

“When I got the text from Kevin McHale saying, ‘We’re going to take him,’ it was a huge relief,” Hoiberg said. “My heart was pounding, which isn’t good for a guy with a heart condition.”

The Rockets had the upcoming 16th and 18th selections in the draft, but McHale did not respond to Hoiberg’s inquiry as to which pick Houston would use on White. So Hoiberg kept the news to himself and waited.

With the 16th pick, NBA commissioner David Stern announced White, who spent one season on the court as a Cyclone, had been selected.

The long wait had finally paid off.

“To be honest, I was having an hour and 45 minute panic attack up there, that’s just as honest as I can be,” White said. “When my name was called the feeling was similar to when the wheels touch down in the city off that airplane.”

White said he was not surprised Hoiberg kept the news to himself until the pick was official, joking that he wished Hoiberg would have ended his wait a few minutes earlier.

“Coach is superstitious like that,” White said. “I think he probably didn’t want to jinx it.”

Hoiberg, a former front office employee with the Minnesota Timberwolves, said he kept the text under wraps because he knows how quickly things can change.

“I didn’t say anything to anybody because I’ve seen things happen in the draft where a trade comes up, and you can’t refuse it,” Hoiberg said. “[Royce] was shocked. If you could see the look on his face at the time, it was pretty priceless.”

McHale, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, spent 13 seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, helping the team to three NBA Championships.

Hoiberg said he was happy to hear McHale and the Rockets would be selecting White, adding that he believes they will use him to his strengths on the court.

“I played for Kevin and worked with Kevin for several years, and he’ll use him the right way; he’ll be great for Royce off the floor, as well,” Hoiberg said. “I’m so happy; it’s a big step in Royce’s life, and he’s ready to take advantage of it.”

White, barring any further move by the Rockets, will play under a 7-time All-Star and one of the most highly regarded forwards in NBA history.

“Kevin is a legend in his own right as a player, and he did great things in Minnesota [in the front office],” White said. “He’s a legend, and the moves I’m practicing every day as a post player, they were invented by him.”

Rebecca White, Royce’s mother, hopes the connection between Hoiberg and McHale will help her son transition more easily to the NBA and a new part of his life.

“Hopefully, the fact that there is that connection between Fred and Kevin McHale will help transition him, and [he can] still have someone with some familiarity, good advice and all of that,” she said.

When he does step on the court for the first time, the 21-year-old White will do so with many players he grew up watching, making for an emotional experience.

“It’s going to be a blessing — very powerful for me. I’m a very emotional guy when it comes to big moments, big hurdles in life,” White said. “The first time I stepped on the Iowa State court my emotions swelled, and I’m sure the same thing will happen when I step on the court with each one of those legends I watched all of those years.”