"Everybody grows up watching it": Bulls guard Coby White once labeled Duke vs. UNC as one of the 'greatest' rivalries in college basketball
Coby White was fortunate to be part of the iconic UNC-Duke basketball rivalry during his college career. Donning the UNC jersey and facing off against the Blue Devils was a remarkable experience for him.
White played three games against Duke, winning two and losing one. Before his first showdown with Duke in February 2019, he openly acknowledged he had been a Duke supporter and shared his excitement ahead of the game.
"It's one of the greatest rivalries of all time, if not the greatest," White said. "It is going to be real fun. Everybody grows up watching it and wants to be a part of it, so it should be a fun game and a fun atmosphere."
Coby White was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. So it is not out of the box that he was a Blue Devil fan as a child. NC natives typically become supporters of one of the state's major universities: Duke, North Carolina, NC State, or Wake Forest.
"He was a Duke fan?! You were a Duke fan?! Oh gosh, I can’t believe this kid. I have no thoughts on him being a Duke fan," UNC forward Kenny Williams said about Coby.
The Carolina-Duke rivalry is considered one of the oldest and fiercest in US sports history. It began a hundred years ago in January 1920 with their first-ever match. ESPN ranks it as the third greatest rivalry in North American sports and Sports Illustrated on Campus considers it the top 'Hottest Rivalry' in college basketball.
Coby White aims for All-Star selection
UNC product Coby White put out his best performance with the Chicago Bulls last season. He averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game showing huge improvement from the 2022-23 season where his stats read 9.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.8 APG.
White was shortlisted for the 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player but came up short, losing to Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey. But he is aiming for another honor in the coming season.
"For me, individually, I think that next step is just becoming an All-Star," White told SLAM's Curtis Rowser. "This past summer, I had one goal, and that was to prove to everyone that I deserve to be a lead guard in the NBA and that I can be a starting guard in the NBA."
White scored 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2024 play-in tournament. It was the second-highest ever in tournament history, just behind Jayson Tatum's 50-point.