Coby White, a guard for the Chicago Bulls, has emerged as a beacon of hope from his hometown of Goldsboro, North Carolina. White’s home city was once considered the poorest in North Carolina in 2021. As a public single parent, his future was at risk with many of the challenges that he encountered. Rather, he thanks the sport for rescuing his life and sparking a global existence that extends far past the borders of his neighborhood.
White, meanwhile, is listed at 6-foot-5. He developed his basketball talent from a young age, due in large part to the early exposure provided by his father. The impact of losing his father to liver cancer in 2017 weighed significantly on White’s emotional state, and this transitional period became the indenting point in White’s life. He would spend many nights thinking about how his father’s mentorship steered his course and motivated him to keep going in the face of challenges.
In Goldsboro, White saw firsthand the pain, desperation, and broken dreams that engulfed so many of his teenage friends. “A lot of guys that I grew up with — a lot of them still in Goldsboro — really [are] not doing much, [are] still incarcerated or they’re no longer living,” he said. This harsh truth is what inspired him to take basketball more seriously.
As White went through his high school career at the Greenfield School in North Carolina, he really took off as a player. He accrued high honors, winning North Carolina Mr. Basketball and making the McDonald’s All-American team. He nearly fell victim to the streets, before one fateful decision made in an instant to pursue basketball full-time. “I remember getting asked to join the gang and [if I] wanted to be a part of that,” he recalled. I knew that if I was to get in trouble, I couldn’t play the game that I so dearly love. If I would’ve chosen any other route, my life would be completely changed.
White’s hard work and loyalty to the sport led to his getting drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Last year, he put up a truly elite 20.5 PPG while doing so. This defining performance signals his bright future as he aims to emerge as an All-Star in the season ahead. Uncertainty clouds his future with the organization. After completing a three-year, $36 million deal, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency next offseason.
Though White is still in the early stages of his professional career, he is deeply committed to sharing his success with his community. On September 12, he held the inaugural fundraising gala for his fledgling foundation, CWFF, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The inaugural event raised enough money to fund two $10,000 scholarships each year, beginning in 2024. “So, I felt like that it was my job to use my platform and where I’m at to help future generations in areas where I grew up,” he explained.
White understands how important it is to support Black and brown youth in Chicago. He wants to open their minds to new opportunities. He hopes to address the mental health stigmas that frequently go unmentioned in minority communities. “It is really a small town. It’s one of the poorest cities in North Carolina, so we didn’t have access to much,” he remarked about Goldsboro.
Beyond basketball, White is focused on being where his feet are, and enjoying where he’s at. “One of the things that I like to do in my life is to be present in the moment,” he said. It’s clear how much Chicago means to him as he gushes over the teammates, coaches, and apparently the front office that Chicago has gifted him.
After spending time preparing for the upcoming season with his team, White stated, “It is September for the past [three] weeks and we have a majority of the team in the gym playing pickup, working out. We all know this season is a big one for us coming up.” His desire to be the best player he can be on the court replicates his desire to pull everyone in his community up with him.
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