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University of North Carolina Athletics
Coby White in action versus the Hornets in the NBA summer league.
Photo by: Getty Images
GoHeels Exclusive: Homecoming
October 25, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers
Coby White returned to North Carolina for his NBA debut this week.
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
CHARLOTTE — When the NBA released its 2019-20 schedule in August, Coby White didn't have a strong reaction to the news that he'd be making his professional debut in Charlotte.
At the time, he said he was solely concentrated on getting ready for his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. But sitting in the visiting locker room at the Spectrum Center on Wednesday, shortly before facing the Charlotte Hornets, the former North Carolina guard recognized the significance of the moment.
"It's just a blessing for me, super blessed. To have my first game in my home state means a lot," said the Goldsboro native who holds the all-time North Carolina high school scoring record. "But you just try to go out there and start the season in the right direction."
In front of some friendly faces, he did just that.
Although Chicago lost, 126-125, White proved to be a bright spot, scoring 17 points in 27 minutes off the bench. He also tied for the team lead with seven assists, becoming the first Bull to record 15 points and five assists in their NBA debut since Michael Jordan in 1984.
Jordan, now the owner of the Hornets, sat courtside Wednesday. So, too, did Julius Peppers. Eric Hoots, Kendall Marshall and Sean May were also in attendance, along with 13 of White's friends and family members.
They and several UNC fans gave White a warm welcome when he entered the game for the first time midway through the first quarter. Two minutes later, he attempted his first shot, a 3-pointer from the right elbow. The shot clanked off the iron. But he drained his next one, a corner 3, for the first points off his career.
Overall, White went 6 for 13 from the field, including 1 for 4 on 3-pointers. Most of his success came attacking the basket, as he earned five free-throw attempts and made four.
"I feel like I played hard," White said afterward. "I probably could've hit more shots than what I did. But it's my first game, so I'm not trying to be too hard on myself. I would've loved to have come out with the win.
"It was fun. A lot of good moments out there. Some bad. I've just gotta learn from it and continue to build."
Just as he's done since Chicago took him seventh overall in June's draft.
Playing in the Las Vegas Summer League in July, White led the Bulls in scoring, averaging 15 points in five games. Despite that, he struggled shooting, going 3 for 30 on 3-pointers and 28 for 83 from the field. But he didn't get caught up in those numbers and turned in a sensational preseason.
In shooting 43.2 percent (16 for 37) on 3-pointers in five preseason games, White averaged 19.2 points, tied for the sixth most among all players. That average also marked the second best by any rookie in the preseason in the last 15 years, second to Zion Williamson (23.2) this season.
Now, with Williamson sidelined with a knee injury, White's name is being tossed around by NBA pundits in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
"I just feel like I keep improving," White said. "Each game is a steppingstone to get better. That's how I'm seeing it. I'm nowhere near where I want to be and I have a long way to go and a lot more to learn. But it's all about the process. It's my rookie season; I know it's going to be filled with ups and downs and everything isn't going to go my way. So, I'm prepared for that, and I'm just taking it game by game and controlling what I can control."
Along the way, White knows he'll come across several fellow Tar Heels.
In his first preseason game, he played against his former teammate Luke Maye, then a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Last week, he faced the Atlanta Hawks and Vince Carter, marking the first time White had met the future Hall of Famer. Then came Wednesday's matchup with Marvin Williams, who White said he'd built a relationship with during Williams' return trips to Chapel Hill.
Williams said he first heard of White during his senior year of high school and has followed his career since then.
"He's got the unique ability to play the 1 and the 2 and he can guard both positions, as well," said Williams, who also finished with 17 points on Wednesday. "He can pass the ball and make plays for people and he can also score it. I think he showed the world that he's able to do both, and that's why Chicago drafted him."
Even though he's no longer on the team, White said he'll follow Carolina as closely as he can this season. During the 10 minutes he spoke with reporters before Wednesday's game, he almost spent more time talking about the work Garrison Brooks put in this summer, the return of Leaky Black, how excited he is about the freshmen and the relationships he's maintained with his former teammates and coaches than anything related to his debut.
Before reporting to training camp, White came back to Chapel Hill and caught up with his former teammates at Late Night with Roy last month. The moment he walked into the Smith Center, fans started chanting his name. Only Roy Williams received a louder ovation.
That, White said, meant a lot.
"Everybody wants to feel loved," he said. "I couldn't imagine a better homecoming. I was filled with a bunch of emotions and I was blessed. Like I always say, Carolina is the best school in the country, has the best fans, the best basketball, and is best in everything, I feel like. And I'm just so glad that in high school I was wise enough to make the decision to go there."
When he did, the majority of people didn't anticipate he'd be in the NBA already. Even around this same time last year, he was rarely appearing in any mock drafts.
But throughout his freshman season, White proved himself. Now, he's living his lifelong dream.
"Everything happened so fast," said White, who returns to the court Friday in Memphis. "A lot of people didn't expect me to be where I'm at today coming into college. But I've been proving all the doubters wrong my whole life. With all the hard work I've put in and all the time and sacrifices I've made, it's not a surprise to me because I know everything I went through and everything I did to get this far."
And surely it'll keep taking him further.
CHARLOTTE — When the NBA released its 2019-20 schedule in August, Coby White didn't have a strong reaction to the news that he'd be making his professional debut in Charlotte.
At the time, he said he was solely concentrated on getting ready for his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. But sitting in the visiting locker room at the Spectrum Center on Wednesday, shortly before facing the Charlotte Hornets, the former North Carolina guard recognized the significance of the moment.
"It's just a blessing for me, super blessed. To have my first game in my home state means a lot," said the Goldsboro native who holds the all-time North Carolina high school scoring record. "But you just try to go out there and start the season in the right direction."
In front of some friendly faces, he did just that.
Although Chicago lost, 126-125, White proved to be a bright spot, scoring 17 points in 27 minutes off the bench. He also tied for the team lead with seven assists, becoming the first Bull to record 15 points and five assists in their NBA debut since Michael Jordan in 1984.
Jordan, now the owner of the Hornets, sat courtside Wednesday. So, too, did Julius Peppers. Eric Hoots, Kendall Marshall and Sean May were also in attendance, along with 13 of White's friends and family members.
They and several UNC fans gave White a warm welcome when he entered the game for the first time midway through the first quarter. Two minutes later, he attempted his first shot, a 3-pointer from the right elbow. The shot clanked off the iron. But he drained his next one, a corner 3, for the first points off his career.
Overall, White went 6 for 13 from the field, including 1 for 4 on 3-pointers. Most of his success came attacking the basket, as he earned five free-throw attempts and made four.
"I feel like I played hard," White said afterward. "I probably could've hit more shots than what I did. But it's my first game, so I'm not trying to be too hard on myself. I would've loved to have come out with the win.
"It was fun. A lot of good moments out there. Some bad. I've just gotta learn from it and continue to build."
Just as he's done since Chicago took him seventh overall in June's draft.
Playing in the Las Vegas Summer League in July, White led the Bulls in scoring, averaging 15 points in five games. Despite that, he struggled shooting, going 3 for 30 on 3-pointers and 28 for 83 from the field. But he didn't get caught up in those numbers and turned in a sensational preseason.
In shooting 43.2 percent (16 for 37) on 3-pointers in five preseason games, White averaged 19.2 points, tied for the sixth most among all players. That average also marked the second best by any rookie in the preseason in the last 15 years, second to Zion Williamson (23.2) this season.
Now, with Williamson sidelined with a knee injury, White's name is being tossed around by NBA pundits in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
"I just feel like I keep improving," White said. "Each game is a steppingstone to get better. That's how I'm seeing it. I'm nowhere near where I want to be and I have a long way to go and a lot more to learn. But it's all about the process. It's my rookie season; I know it's going to be filled with ups and downs and everything isn't going to go my way. So, I'm prepared for that, and I'm just taking it game by game and controlling what I can control."
Along the way, White knows he'll come across several fellow Tar Heels.
In his first preseason game, he played against his former teammate Luke Maye, then a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Last week, he faced the Atlanta Hawks and Vince Carter, marking the first time White had met the future Hall of Famer. Then came Wednesday's matchup with Marvin Williams, who White said he'd built a relationship with during Williams' return trips to Chapel Hill.
Williams said he first heard of White during his senior year of high school and has followed his career since then.
"He's got the unique ability to play the 1 and the 2 and he can guard both positions, as well," said Williams, who also finished with 17 points on Wednesday. "He can pass the ball and make plays for people and he can also score it. I think he showed the world that he's able to do both, and that's why Chicago drafted him."
Even though he's no longer on the team, White said he'll follow Carolina as closely as he can this season. During the 10 minutes he spoke with reporters before Wednesday's game, he almost spent more time talking about the work Garrison Brooks put in this summer, the return of Leaky Black, how excited he is about the freshmen and the relationships he's maintained with his former teammates and coaches than anything related to his debut.
Before reporting to training camp, White came back to Chapel Hill and caught up with his former teammates at Late Night with Roy last month. The moment he walked into the Smith Center, fans started chanting his name. Only Roy Williams received a louder ovation.
That, White said, meant a lot.
"Everybody wants to feel loved," he said. "I couldn't imagine a better homecoming. I was filled with a bunch of emotions and I was blessed. Like I always say, Carolina is the best school in the country, has the best fans, the best basketball, and is best in everything, I feel like. And I'm just so glad that in high school I was wise enough to make the decision to go there."
When he did, the majority of people didn't anticipate he'd be in the NBA already. Even around this same time last year, he was rarely appearing in any mock drafts.
But throughout his freshman season, White proved himself. Now, he's living his lifelong dream.
"Everything happened so fast," said White, who returns to the court Friday in Memphis. "A lot of people didn't expect me to be where I'm at today coming into college. But I've been proving all the doubters wrong my whole life. With all the hard work I've put in and all the time and sacrifices I've made, it's not a surprise to me because I know everything I went through and everything I did to get this far."
And surely it'll keep taking him further.
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