Coby White is back in familiar territory. Not only is the 26-year-old point guard back in a starting role, he’s also doing it in his home state of North Carolina. After being traded to the Charlotte Hornets last season, White is taking over as the team’s primary point guard following the offseason trade of LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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A native of Wilson, North Carolina, White returns to the state where he holds the all-time high school scoring record (3,573 points) and where the Greenfield High star was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons, and selected as a McDonald’s All-American. A consensus five-star recruit, he stayed in state to play for North Carolina, where he was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and was a second-team All-ACC selection.
He then declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, where he was the No. 7 overall pick to the Chicago Bulls. He eventually became a regular starter and averaged a career-high 20.4 points in 2024-25. But with the Bulls battling through another losing season in 2025-26 and White set to be a free agent, Chicago traded him to Charlotte in February.
In 21 games for the Hornets last season, he averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. White felt comfortable enough with the new situation to re-sign with the Hornets over the offseason on a three-year, $74 million contract.
“It’s a blessing,” White said during the team’s media day on Monday. “It’s a blessing to be in this moment. For me, you can’t make this stuff up.”
He also told the media that he sees God’s hand in how his career has played out.
“Like everyone knows, spiritually, I’m a believer in Christ, so I think He has a plan,” he said Monday. “If you would’ve told me two years ago that this is where I’d be sitting right now, I wouldn’t believe you.
“But I’m excited. I’m blessed. I’m fortunate. We have a really talented team — a lot of versatile guys and unique players. I’m excited to share the floor, and we brought in some really good vets that I’m excited to learn from. We’ve got a really good team and I’m excited for the opportunity I have. I think it’s on me to take full advantage of it.”
With White in the fold, the Hornets reached the NBA Play-In Tournament last season, winning a game against the Miami Heat before losing to the Orlando Magic. Now, Charlotte is looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The chance to lead the Hornets there was a big reason White wanted to re-sign with the team.
“I’m excited to see what this year holds,” White said Monday. “This is a different opportunity. I’m in a unique situation, a unique opportunity, and you know it’s definitely one of the main reasons why I did want to come back here was because I knew it would make me a better player. I knew it would be a challenge for the road ahead, and I knew that in order for me to become the player that I strive to be, that I dream of becoming, I have to take on this challenge.”
He’s fully aware of the expectations, especially given his accolades in high school and college in the state, and knows the franchise and fanbase are going to be looking for him to be a leader. He knows it will be a lot of responsibility and weight on his shoulders.
“I think I’m ready for it at this point in my career, maturity-wise, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually,” he said. “So I’m just excited for the road ahead. I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like, but I know that I’m excited to see (it), just like you are.”
.@CobyWhite mic'd up for the first day of training camp 🎤
presented by @Truist pic.twitter.com/jeJzZRMmzC
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 30, 2026
In the past, White has acknowledged that he may not have been mature enough early in his career to handle such responsibility. Yet he’s seen how God has brought him through those times to make him the man he is.
“I feel with my journey the first four or five years God may not have thought I was ready, that I needed more maturing, maybe more learning,” White told NBA.com in April 2025. “But that was OK. I just wanted to stay patient and continue to be who I am and contribute to work and to strive to be the player who I try to become each and every day. I always give God all the thanks and all the glory because He kind of put me on this journey and He instilled me with the faith and patience to withstand all the trials and tribulations.”
One of White’s biggest examples of how to live a Godly life came from watching his dad, Donald, who was a factory worker in Goldsboro, N.C., and died of liver cancer in 2017 at age 65.
“I was raised to lead with love, raised to put God first and raised to uplift and spread positivity; that’s kind of how my family is,” White told NBA.com. “I look back at my life, growing up in one of the poorest cities in North Carolina. I look back and think, ‘How did I get here?’ I really don’t have an explanation. And then all I can point to is God and my family growing up, my mom, my dad. My dad got on his hands and knees every single night and prayed out loud to God. I saw that every night. He never missed a night, and growing up when you see that stuff as a kid, you start to take home what your parents are doing.”
His faith is big reason why he launched the Coby White Family Foundation, which provides holistic mental health support and scholarship opportunities for Black and Brown youth and families. It also hosts basketball camps and offers educational resources like tutoring, financial literacy and nutritional education.
The foundation is a family affair and guided by Luke 12:48, which says, “To whom much is given, much will be required.”
The Hornets kick off preseason play on Oct. 6 against the Brooklyn Nets, then begin the regular season Oct. 21, also against the Nets.
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