With Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong watching courtside, guard Coby White gave them a show.
White went on one of his patented shooting displays that had largely been absent this season because of his multiple calf injuries. His run started with a three as a result of good ball movement. The second three came after a Tre Jones drive to the basket.
You could tell White was feeling it because he immediately drilled his third straight three after receiving a cross-court pass from Jones to the left corner. With the star power of Crow-Armstrong and Williams, the arena was buzzing.
The anticipation was building now that the crowd knew that White was in a rhythm. He dribbled on the right side of the floor and pulled up from the United Center logo on the court for his fourth consecutive three-pointer that made the United Center crowd delirious. Offense came easy in the Bulls’ 138-110 win over the Clippers.
“I’m just happy for him because it’s been a long road back for him,” coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s hard. You miss an entire training camp. You miss part of the ending part of the summer. You’re trying to get yourself back in shape, [and] you do start playing [but] your body doesn’t feel great because you haven’t built up that endurance.”
The more he plays, the more White is starting to resemble the version of himself that took off after the All-Star break last season. White looked spry in Tuesday’s win over the Clippers. After checking out at the 3:43 mark of the third quarter, White received a standing ovation from Bulls fans as he checked out with 27 points and six assists.
White finding his footing is best for himself and the Bulls. He’s hit 13 threes over his last two games. He’s on an expiring contract and likely looking for a higher number on the $33 million contract he signed in 2023-24. He’s talked about how his only way to get into a rhythm is by playing, which was difficult as he dealt with a minutes restriction.
For White, he’s a believer in that the averages always even out. He didn’t let a slump that saw him enter Tuesday shooting a career-low 33.8% from three deter him.
“You’ve got to have confidence that you’re gonna get back to who you are,” he said.
White said what he worked on the most was shot prep. Because he suffered a lower-leg injury, one leg naturally became stronger than the other. From there, he worked on the fundamentals of shooting — being down in a stance, having his hands ready and sticking his follow through.
“It starts stuff that I can control, and then if you check those boxes, you live with the result,” White said.
While in his slump, White said he started watching film of himself from last season. He was looking to see what the difference was in the types of shots he was taking, and looking at the technical aspects of his shot. Seeing shots go through the rim is validation for White that he’s turning the corner.
Three weeks remain until the trade deadline, and the Bulls will likely have many decisions to make. He’s the type of player that teams covet as they gear up for postseason basketball.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas could always re-sign White, but he’s the most attractive trade piece the team has. But White playing well undoubtedly is better for Karnisovas and White as decision day nears.