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Coby White, you left us way too soon.
Remember Alec Jacoby White from Goldsboro on the 2018-19 Tar Heels? He was a one-and-done and the seventh pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. White had to go, of course, but he was the poster child (19 at the time) for leaving us before we got to know him.
Now, the Bulls know him well in his fifth season of steady improvement. A starter at lead guard with the same big hair but now a thicker beard, White is a burgeoning superstar of the Bulls. At the United Center, they chant his name “CO-BEE! CO-BEE!”
That star landed with a career-high 42 points, eliminating Atlanta in the NBA play-in tournament. Tonight, the Bulls are at Miami and try to beat the Heat and get into the full draw as a No. 8 seed against No. 1 Boston in the first round of best-of-seven. Wouldn’t it be great if White could stun the Celtics something like No. 23 did back in 1986 (with 63 points against Larry Bird and Co. in game two at Beantown)? Yes, White is the first UNC player drafted in the first round by Chicago since Michael Jordan in 1984.
He is giving fans hope after the Bulls are on the brink of their second playoff appearance in three years, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in their prior trip. He has earned his way into the starting lineup, where he will remain a fixture around whom they will continue rebuilding their team.
Coby showed signs his rookie season, as the first NBA player born in the 2000s, when he debuted coming off the bench in a one-point win over the Hornets with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists. Three weeks later, he set a franchise record with seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against the Knicks.
At UNC he wore No. 2 and helped the Tar Heels to the Sweet Sixteen after they finished tied with Virginia for first place in the ACC and lost to Duke and Zion Williamson in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
He averaged 16 points and 4 assists a game and the pros saw the 6-5 guard as a future star. This season, his fifth in the NBA, No. 0 averaged 19 points, 5 assists and 4.5 rebounds as a starter in 78 games and playing more than 36 minutes.
He has much more game than in college, almost unstoppable when he drives, crosses over, penetrates, spins and scores in the lane. He averages just under 38 percent from the longer 3-point line. And he does it all with almost effortless grace.
Tune in. He is amazing to watch, and you don’t have to be a Tar Heel to appreciate his brilliance with the ball.
Featured image via Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
