Alec Jacoby "Coby" White (born February 16, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. White was a top high school player in North Carolina, finishing his career as the top prep scorer in state history. After being selected by the Bulls in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

Coby White
White (in front) with the Chicago Bulls in 2022
No. 0 – Chicago Bulls
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-02-16) February 16, 2000 (age 24)
Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolGreenfield School
(Wilson, North Carolina)
CollegeNorth Carolina (2018–2019)
NBA draft2019: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–presentChicago Bulls
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2018 Canada National team

High school career

edit

White, a 6'4" combo guard, played high school basketball at the Greenfield School in Wilson, North Carolina. He scored 3,573 points over his four-year career, becoming the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history, a record previously held by JamesOn Curry.[1][2] At the close of his senior season, White was named North Carolina Mr. Basketball as the state's top high school player.[3] White was also awarded the 2018 USA Today's North Carolina Player of the Year.[4] He was named to the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game alongside fellow UNC signee Nassir Little.[5] White also was nominated to the MaxPreps All-America first team.[4]

During the summer after graduating, White was named to the United States U18 National team to compete in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Canada.[6] White helped lead the team to a gold medal as the team's top scorer, earning all-tournament honors.[7][8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Coby White
PG
Goldsboro, NC Greenfield School (NC) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jul 28, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 91
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 26  247Sports: 26  ESPN: 23
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "North Carolina 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  • "2018 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.

College career

edit
 
White at UNC

White signed a National Letter of Intent to play for North Carolina on November 8, 2017.[9] White made his debut in a game against Wofford on November 6, 2018, starting at point guard, and recording eight points and three assists in North Carolina's 78–67 win over Wofford.[10][11] On February 26, 2019, when his team was playing against Syracuse, White scored a career-high 34 points while leading the Tar Heels to a 93–85 victory.[12] On March 5, White passed Michael Jordan in North Carolina's all-time freshman scoring list with 469 in North Carolina's 79–66 win over Boston College.[13][14] White helped lead the team in the 2019 NCAA tournament, where they were eventually defeated by Auburn 97–80 in the Sweet 16 round of the tournament. White also broke a North Carolina basketball freshman record of three point shooting, hitting 82 during his college season.[8] On April 3, 2019, White declared for the 2019 NBA draft after one season at North Carolina, where he earned All-ACC 2nd Team honors.[2][15][8]

Professional career

edit

Chicago Bulls (2019–present)

edit

On June 20, 2019, the Chicago Bulls drafted Coby White with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.[16] White is the first player from North Carolina to be drafted in the first round by the Bulls since Michael Jordan in 1984.[17] On July 1, 2019, White signed with the Bulls.[18] White participated in the 2019 NBA Summer League with fellow 2019 draftee Daniel Gafford, where he averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.[19] On October 23, 2019, White made his debut in the NBA, coming off the bench in a 126–125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets with 17 points, three rebounds and seven assists.[20] This game made him the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NBA.

On November 12, 2019, White hit seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks, setting a Bulls franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a single quarter, and finished with 27 points in the 120–102 victory.[21] On February 22, 2020, White scored a then career-high 33 points in a 112–104 loss to the Phoenix Suns. White would match that career high the next day, leading the Bulls to a 126–117 win over the Washington Wizards. White became the first rookie in NBA history with consecutive 30-point games off the bench.[22] On February 25, White continued the streak and exceeded his career-high, scoring 35 points in a 124–122 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[23] On September 15, 2020, White was named to the 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team by the NBA.[24]

On February 10, 2021, White finished with 30 points, eight 3-pointers, and 7 assists in a 129–116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, setting a Bulls franchise record with teammate Zach LaVine when they each made 8 shots from behind the arc.[25]

On June 10, 2021, White underwent left shoulder surgery and was ruled out for at least four months.[26] On September 22, the Bulls exercised their fourth-year option on White, keeping him under team control through the 2022–23 season.[27]

On January 31, 2023, in a 108–103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, White became the fastest player (237 games) in Bulls franchise history to make 500 career three-point baskets.[28] On July 7, 2023, White signed a three-year contract extension with the Bulls.[29]

On April 17, 2024, White scored a career-high 42 points in a 131–116 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament.[30] It was the second-most in play-in tournament history behind Jayson Tatum’s 50 points game in 2021.

On April 23, 2024, White finished second in the race for 2023–24 NBA Most Improved Player, losing narrowly to Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey.[31]

Career statistics

edit
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Chicago 65 1 25.8 .394 .354 .791 3.5 2.7 .8 .1 13.2
2020–21 Chicago 69 54 31.2 .416 .359 .901 4.1 4.8 .6 .2 15.1
2021–22 Chicago 61 17 27.5 .433 .385 .857 3.0 2.9 .5 .2 12.7
2022–23 Chicago 74 2 23.4 .443 .372 .871 2.9 2.8 .7 .1 9.7
2023–24 Chicago 79 78 36.5 .447 .376 .838 4.5 5.1 .7 .2 19.1
Career 348 152 29.1 .427 .369 .848 3.6 3.7 .6 .2 14.1

Play-in

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Chicago 2 0 28.0 .643 .714 2.5 4.5 1.0 .5 11.5
2024 Chicago 2 2 39.8 .541 .333 .833 5.5 5.0 1.5 .0 27.5
Career 4 2 33.9 .569 .455 .833 4.0 4.8 1.3 .3 19.5

Playoffs

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Chicago 5 0 19.6 .333 .276 .800 3.4 1.8 .2 .0 8.4
Career 5 0 19.6 .333 .276 .800 3.4 1.8 .2 .0 8.4

College

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 North Carolina 35 35 28.5 .423 .353 .800 3.5 4.1 1.1 .3 16.1

Personal life

edit

White's father, Donald, previously played college basketball at North Carolina Central before becoming a factory worker until his death on August 15, 2017, to liver cancer.[32] His mother is a claims manager for an insurance company. He also has a sister and an older brother, Will, who played basketball and is currently an assistant coach for Mars Hill University.[33][4] He has a personal connection with NBA player Chris Paul, as he played for Paul's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program, Team CP3.[8]

References

edit
  1. ^ Blake, J. Mike; Pope IV, Jonas (January 27, 2018). "UNC basketball recruit becomes NC's all-time scoring leader, but where will the record go?". The News & Observer. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Ross (February 27, 2018). "Coby White Concludes Prep Career With N.C. Record 3,573 Points". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  3. ^ Wertz Jr., Langston (March 31, 2018). "UNC, Duke recruits named Mr. Basketball in North, South Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Coby White". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  5. ^ Lindsay, Michael (March 27, 2018). "White one of two Tar Heels in McDonalds All-American Game". The Wilson Times. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Goldsboro native, future Tar Heel Coby White named to U18 national team". The Wilson Times. June 5, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  7. ^ "White earns all-tournament honors as U.S. U18 team downs Canada for gold". GoHeels.com. June 17, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "2019 Draft Prospect | Coby White". NBA.com. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  9. ^ Condon, Bridget (November 8, 2017). "A bittersweet signing day as Coby White commits to UNC". abc11.com. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  10. ^ Alexander, Jonathan M. (November 6, 2018). "North Carolina withstands a late push by Wofford to win season opener on the road". GoHeels.com. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  11. ^ Reed, Stever (November 7, 2018). "Maye, Johnson lead No. 8 Tar Heels past Wofford, 78-67". Salisbury Post. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  12. ^ Beard, Aaron (February 27, 2019). "White's 34 helps No. 5 North Carolina beat Syracuse 93-85". AP News. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  13. ^ Boone, Kyle (March 5, 2019). "UNC star Coby White passes Michael Jordan on Tar Heels freshman scoring list". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  14. ^ Vulpis, Matt (March 6, 2019). "UNC's Road Dominance is Greatest Feat of College Basketball Season So Far". 12up.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2019. White is averaging 16 points a game, good for a season total of 469 so far...
  15. ^ Rapp, Timothy (April 3, 2019). "Coby White Declares for 2019 NBA Draft After 1 Season at North Carolina". Retrieved April 3, 2019. North Carolina freshman guard Coby White announced Wednesday he is entering the 2019 NBA draft
  16. ^ "Coby White drafted seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft". SB Nation. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  17. ^ "Bulls hope selection of North Carolina's Coby White with No. 7 pick in NBA draft will solve their point guard problem: 'I've been competing all my life'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  18. ^ "Bulls Sign Coby White". NBA.com. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  19. ^ "Coby White's Summer League Performance Was a (Mostly Positive) Mixed Bag". www.bleachernation.com. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  20. ^ "Hornets rookie Washington nets 27 in 126-125 win over Bulls". ESPN.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  21. ^ Owens, Jason (November 12, 2019). "Bulls rookie Coby White outscores Knicks in 4th quarter with record 3-point barrage". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  22. ^ "Coby White made NBA history and Zach LaVine set a team 3-point record: 3 takeaways from the Bulls' 126-117 win over the Wizards". CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  23. ^ "Coby White makes NBA history by becoming first rookie reserve to score 30-plus in three straight games". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  24. ^ "Ja Morant, Zion Williamsom headline 2019-20 Kia All-Rookie First Team Tyler Herro, Rui Hachimura voted to Second Team". NBA.com. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  25. ^ "How Zach LaVine and Coby White made 3-point history in Bulls' win over Pelicans". CBS SPORTS. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  26. ^ "White undergoes shoulder surgery, to be evaluated in 4 months". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  27. ^ BuzzOnTap (September 22, 2021). "Bulls Exercise Options on Coby White and Patrick Willams". On Tap Sports Net. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "Chuck Checks In - 02.01.23". www.nba.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Simone, Jack (July 1, 2023). "Bulls praised for Coby White extension: 'Got him on a good deal'". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  30. ^ White, Scotty (April 17, 2024). "Coby White, DeMar DeRozan break down crazy Bulls play-in win vs. Hawks". ClutchPoints. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  31. ^ "76ers' Tyrese Maxey Wins 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award". bleacherreport.com. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  32. ^ White, Coby (June 17, 2019). "For My Father". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  33. ^ "2018-19 Men's Basketball Roster". Goheels.com. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
edit