Settling in certainly hasn’t taken long for one of the newest members of the streaking Charlotte Hornets.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Even before scoring a season-high-tying 27 points in the Hornets’ blowout win over Sacramento on Tuesday night, marking the second straight outing with that number of points, Coby White’s comfort level was in a good place. That’s just how he operates.
“Feeling good, taking it game by game,” White said. “Trying to continue to just get better and continue to see how I can help. But I feel like I’m fitting in pretty well. Still getting accustomed to things, but it’s just going to take time.”
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White drives past the Sacramento Kings’ Daeqwon Plowden on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
Not bad for someone who recently became the third player in NBA history to post 25 points, five rebounds and five made 3-pointers in less than 20 minutes off the bench.
Imagine how effective White will be then for these surging Hornets.
Adjusting to the inner workings of the offense and defense under coach Charles Lee on the fly has been challenging, but not something White can’t handle. Lee’s system differs from what White ran all those years in Chicago under Bulls coach Billy Donovan, and mastering where to be and what to do when remains a work in progress.
However, he’s gathering all the intel rather rapidly. White partially attributes it to sitting out for those initial seven games nursing a strained left calf following the Feb. 4 trade that landed him in Charlotte.
“I think what helped me was just when I was out picking up a lot of stuff, learning stuff, and then so I didn’t really have to learn it on the fly,” White said. “So it’s been good for me, just breaking down the film when I was out.
“It’s going to take time, but I feel like I’m getting accustomed to it for sure.”
Giving back through family foundation
White’s reach also extends beyond the basketball court in his native state.
Through his organization, The Coby White Family Foundation, White is offering two $10,000 scholarships — one for a boy and one for a girl — aimed at assisting rising freshmen from low-income backgrounds similar to his upbringing. Interested students should go to thecwff.org/scholarship-program for details on how to apply prior to the April 15 deadline.
The goal is to provide opportunities to those with limited access, especially in communities affected by poverty and loss. The scholarship was started in honor of White’s late aunts Lynell King and Valerie Davis, as well as White’s late father, Donald White. They were all stricken by cancer.
The Lynell King & Valerie Davis Empowerment Scholarship is for a girl and a boy takes home The Donald L. White Legacy Scholarship.
“I want to do something for them,” White said, “and as a team on my foundation board, we kind of came up with the idea of two scholarships. So I feel like it’s a dope opportunity for a lot of people, especially in low-income areas that grew up kind of where I grew up or not having a lot of access to a lot of different things.
“So I just wanted to do something really to honor them.”
White’s scholarships are open to rising freshmen at eligible North Carolina institutions of higher learning. Applicants must write an essay that reflects a background of overcoming adversity, such as growing up in a low-income setting or losing a parent.
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White takes a three-point shot against the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
White knows about that from firsthand experience.
“I tell people all the time, it’s not something that you just get used to,” White said. “But I think you just get stronger and you learn how to cope with it every day. But it’s tough, it’s challenging. Knowing how much he had an effect on my life, but also my basketball career, him not being able to see me play at Carolina and now I live out my dream of playing in the NBA. …
“My sister has two kids, I have kids, my brother has kids, he would have been great with them. That’s tough for me to think about. And then as men, I’m a young man going through stuff in my life. Sometimes it’s hard without your dad to have that kind of foundation to talk to.”
The Charlotte Observer also spoke with White about a variety of other topics, including how one particular assistant coach has been instrumental in the adjustment process, how he enjoys having friends and family easily attend games now, what he’s noticed about the city of Charlotte and more.
Roderick Boone: What’s it been like having your family here at games in Charlotte?
Coby White: It’s been dope. A lot of family came to the first game, my first home game. So that was dope. I think it’s been cool, man. Obviously, I’ve been around the guys a lot now, so I think we’re starting to develop. I’m starting to develop a great relationship with my teammates, coaching staff and stuff.
And I’ll just continue to get acclimated. Continue to get acclimated not only on the court, but off the court. I never really got to be around Charlotte a lot since I was a kid. So just seeing how it’s changed and stuff has been dope.
RB: And what’s changed the most that you can tell? Is it just the buildings, the atmosphere?
CW: Yeah, the buildings. It just looked different. It’s a different vibe. I feel like there’s more people here. And then somebody told me it’s one of the fastest-growing cities right now in the United States. So I can see why. So just a lot more stuff going on, a lot more stuff to do. A lot more metropolitan areas. So it’s been cool.
RB: Now that you’re here and see the fans kind of getting excited, what’s it like to be a part of it and experience being on a rise?
CW: Yeah, it’s dope. I did another interview talking about how over the past years during my time in Chicago, seeing how it’s changed, the atmosphere changed. Playing in the Spectrum Center, a lot more seats are filled now. The last home game was sold out.
So, I think this is dope to see the fans kind of get behind the team and continue to push them. And it helps us, too, as well. It shows that they believe in us, and so.
Even before I even got here, the players have given them a product to believe in. So, that’s like the most important thing. They need something to believe in. And I think that the players have done a hell of a job of transforming the season, starting 4-14 to now being back above .500.
RB: How much has assistant Josh Longstaff helped you out given your ties back to Chicago?
CW: Yeah, he’s helping me out a ton. Just breaking down film, telling me to give myself grace, be patient with myself, but also give me the confidence to go out there and be who I am at the same time. So, he’s been great. I’ve known him for years now, so he’s been great for me in terms of learning the system, but also just giving me the confidence to go out there and play and not think.
RB: When you’re playing in front of friends and family here in Charlotte in the state you grew up in, does that just give you a little bit more incentive to go out there and perform?
CW: I feel like you just get a sense of love, right? Just a love knowing that people who see you come from when you were little, when you were young and you grew up with, get out to see you play. Knowing that they’re at the game, I wouldn’t say it gives me an extra like, energy burst, but you definitely feel the love and that’s always a great feeling.
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Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White says that the Hornets have given the fans “a product to believe in.” Matt Kelley For the Observer
The Charlotte Observer
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly.
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