Coby White has remained a constant for the Chicago Bulls.
He was one of two players to make it through Arturas Karnisovas’ first significant roster overhaul. Now, in the thick of another transformation, White appears to be even more indisposable. The UNC standout is fresh off his best season in the NBA, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds during the 2023-24 campaign. Flashes of All-Star level scoring and well-rounded playmaking have the 24-year-old looking like a legitimate building block for the organization. With that in mind, expectations to begin the 2024-25 season are as high as they’ve ever been for White.
Whether or not he can meet those expectations is something only time will tell, but White sure sounds ready to give it his all. The guard recently sat down with Fox 32 Chicago for an exclusive interview about his six years in the NBA. White focused a lot on the importance of learning from every experience, and he didn’t at all sound satisfied with his breakout season one year ago.
“It was a lot of growth,” Coby White told Fox 32 of his 2023-24 season. “Going through things I haven’t been through. Obviously, I had a really great year. But I was put in moments I wasn’t used to … Being a guy at the end of a game that has the ball. Playing 38 minutes. I had a great year, I’m not saying that I didn’t. My boy LD always says give yourself some grace. I had a great year, but I think the I learned a lot from that. And that’s the biggest thing that I took away. I’m at this level now, but what do I need to do to do this on a nightly basis?”
Later in the interview with reporter Tina Nguyen, White pulled back the curtain on his offseason regimen. He highlighted the importance of improving his conditioning to become more consistent and play at a faster pace. More specifically, he mentioned grueling workouts in low altitude and hot yoga rooms that would make it hard to breathe at times.
While White’s commitment to developing his game has never necessarily been questioned, this extended interview gave fans one of their best looks yet at how seriously White takes his craft. Arguably the best moment came when White waxed poetic about the unique things he’s taken away from veterans like DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Chris Paul. He shoutouted out Paul’s coaching on his AAU team, DeRozan’s off-court professionalism, and Caruso’s on-court vocalism and leadership.
Fans also got to see the introspective side of the young guard. White hasn’t taken a second of his NBA career for granted, which is something that particularly shined through when discussing his days at North Carolina.
“I never thought about the NBA until I got to college,” Coby White said. “I remember my trainer, who is like my big brother but he is my trainer, he used to tell me I got a chance, I got a chance … I’m more of a realist. It’s one and a million that you get drafted to the NBA. Did I have dreams getting my name called on draft night and walking across the stage? Of course. But I think for me, especially when I was younger, I just wanted to go to school for free because I knew all the investment that my parents gave me in the game of basketball.”
Again, the nearly 22-minute long interview gives us a look at Coby White we haven’t necessarily gotten before. He talked a lot more about his upbringing, love for Chicago, and goals for the future with Fox 32 Chicago, so I highly encourage you to press play when you get some free time.