Alec Jacoby "Coby" White (born February 16, 2000) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player for the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on Januar ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...
. White was a top high school player in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
, 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
The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...
with the seventh overall pick, he was named to the
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...
in 2020.
High school career
White, a 6'4"
combo guard
A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a point guard (1) and shooting guard (2), but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position. In men's basketball, such guards are usually within the 6' ...
, played high school basketball at the Greenfield School in
Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. Located approximately east of the capital city of Raleigh, it is served by the interchange of Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 264. Wilson had an estimate ...
. 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.
At the close of his senior season, White was named
North Carolina Mr. Basketball The North Carolina Mr. Basketball honor recognizes the top boys’ high school senior basketball player in the state of North Carolina. The award is presented annually by the ''Charlotte Observer''.http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2009/04/12/659650/ ...
as the state's top high school player. White was also awarded the 2018 ''USA Today's'' North Carolina Player of the Year.
He was named to the
2018 McDonald's All-American Game alongside fellow UNC signee
Nassir Little. White also was nominated to the
MaxPreps
MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including ...
All-America first team.
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
The 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship was an international under-18 basketball tournament that was held from 10 to 16 June 2018 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The eleventh edition of the biennial competition, this is also the qualifyi ...
in Canada. White helped lead the team to a gold medal as the team's top scorer, earning all-tournament honors.
College career

White signed a
National Letter of Intent
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ...
to play for
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
on November 8, 2017. White made his debut in a game against
Wofford Wofford may refer to:
People with the surname
*Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, 1931–2019), American writer
*Dan Wofford, American politician
*Harris Wofford (1926–2019), U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1991-1995
*James C. Woffor ...
on November 6, 2018, starting at
point guard, and recording eight points and three assists in North Carolina's 78–67 win over Wofford. On February 26, 2019, when his team was playing against
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
* Syracuse, New York
** East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
, White scored a career-high 34 points while leading the Tar Heels to a 93–85 victory. On March 5, White passed
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in North Carolina's all-time freshman scoring list with 469 in North Carolina's 79–66 win over
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifi ...
. 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.
On April 3, 2019, White declared for the
2019 NBA draft
The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...
after one season at North Carolina, where he earned All-ACC 2nd Team honors.
Professional career
Chicago Bulls (2019–present)
On June 20, 2019, the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on Januar ...
drafted Coby White with the seventh overall pick in the
2019 NBA draft
The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...
. White is the first player from North Carolina to be drafted in the first round by the Bulls since
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in 1984. On July 1, 2019, White signed with the Bulls. 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. On October 23, 2019, White made his debut in the NBA, coming off the bench in a 126–125 loss to the
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
with 17 points, three rebounds and seven assists. 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
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...
, setting a Bulls franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a single quarter, and finished with 27 points in the 120–102 victory. On February 22, 2020, White scored a then career-high 33 points in a 112–104 loss to the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...
. White would match that career high the next day, leading the Bulls to a 126–117 win over the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
. White became the first rookie in NBA history with consecutive 30-point games off the bench. 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
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
. On September 15, 2020, White was named
2019–20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team by the
NBA.
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
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their home ...
, setting a Bulls franchise record with teammate
Zach LaVine when they each made 8 shots from behind the arc.
On June 10, 2021, White underwent left shoulder surgery and was ruled out for at least four months. On September 22, the Bulls exercised their fourth-year option on White, keeping him under team control through the 2022–23 season.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, 65 , , 1 , , 25.8 , , .394 , , .354 , , .791 , , 3.5 , , 2.7 , , .8 , , .1 , , 13.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, 69 , , 54 , , 31.2 , , .416 , , .359 , , .901 , , 4.1 , , 4.8 , , .6 , , .2 , , 15.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, 61 , , 17 , , 27.5 , , .433 , , .385 , , .857 , , 3.0 , , 2.9 , , .5 , , .2 , , 12.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 195 , , 72 , , 28.2 , , .413 , , .365 , , .851 , , 3.6 , , 3.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 13.7
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 19.6 , , .333 , , .276 , , .800 , , 3.4 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , .0 , , 8.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 5 , , 0 , , 19.6 , , .333 , , .276 , , .800 , , 3.4 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , .0 , , 8.4
College
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2018–19
, style="text-align:left;",
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
, 35 , , 35 , , 28.5 , , .423 , , .353 , , .800 , , 3.5 , , 4.1 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 16.1
Personal life
White's father, Donald, previously played college basketball at
North Carolina Central
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from ...
before becoming a factory worker until his death on August 15, 2017, to
liver cancer
Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...
. His mother is a claims manager for an insurance company. He also has a sister an older brother, Will, who played basketball and is currently an assistant coach for
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill University is a private Christian university in Mars Hill, North Carolina. The university offers 35 undergraduate majors and includes a school of nursing and graduate schools in education, criminal justice, and management. From 1859 t ...
.
He has a personal connection with NBA player
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one ...
, as he played for Paul's
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...
(AAU) program, Team CP3.
References
External links
North Carolina Tar Heels bioUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Coby
2000 births
Living people
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from North Carolina
Chicago Bulls draft picks
Chicago Bulls players
McDonald's High School All-Americans
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players
People from Goldsboro, North Carolina
Point guards
Shooting guards