Bulls guard Coby White looked comfortable as he strolled from court to court at Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park for his youth basketball camp. Dressed in a white t-shirt complete with olive green shorts and Nike shoes, he conversed with campers, offered encouragement and gave advice. White was intentional in each interaction as the spotlight was centered on him.
The teaching, guiding and listening White utilized are all traits he’ll have to use this upcoming season as he steps into a larger role for the team on the court, but also off the court in a leadership role once occupied by veteran forward DeMar DeRozan.
“A lot of things changed in the past year,” White said Tuesday. “A lot of people know me now more because of the year that I had. It’s a blessing. Chicago’s a sports town and a sports city. Everybody here loves sports, and they care about it and they’re passionate about it, so there’s no other organization I’d rather play for.”
White had his first camp in North Carolina, which he said would always be home, but he wanted to have one in Chicago because of the love the city always showed him. White, 24, is now the second-longest tenured Bulls player and one of the leaders on a young team constructed by president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
The Bulls traded guard Alex Caruso for guard Josh Giddey, signed-and-traded DeRozan and drafted 19-year-old forward Matas Buzelis in an attempt to get younger.
It’s been quite the turnaround for White who lost his starting spot to guard Lonzo Ball before the North Carolina native’s third season, and is now considered one of the key players after averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds and finishing second for the Most Improved Player award.
White’s now the veteran player who the younger Bulls will be looking toward to set the standard. After watching how DeRozan set the tone with a professional approach, the onus now falls on White to apply what he learned and impart that knowledge to the younger players.
“DeMar always led by example,” White said. “He wasn’t always the loudest guy in the room. He wasn’t always the most talkative guy in the room, but if we had a meeting he was always one of the first ones there.
“If we had a bus time, he was one of the first ones there. He was never late to a meeting. When the game came, it was always about business. The way he took me, Dos [guard Ayo Dosunmu], DT [guard Dalen Terry], and Pat [forward Patrick Williams], under his wing shed light on the things I’m looking forward to when I get older, and that can start now for me.”
Though DeRozan is no longer on the team, the relationship between him and the young players once led is still there. White and Dosunmu have been in Los Angeles working out with their former teammate.
Dosunmu also attended White’s camp, playfully shooting over White’s campers in scrimmages and serving as a referee for White’s one-on-one games against some campers.
“Me and Ayo have these conversations all the time,” White said of their conversations about being leaders. “Me and him are both going to try to take that next step in leadership. We got a younger team this year, so we’re trying to take steps in that category.”
White attended NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and watched his youngest teammate, Buzelis, play. Like Buzelis, White was also a 19-year-old rookie trying to navigate the NBA. He had some advice for the rookie.
“The biggest thing I learned since my rookie year is to always observe,” White said. “I was more of an observer.”
White is ready for the added responsibility this season and can no longer be an observer. He has to set the tone for this revamped Bulls team.
“It’s a lot more opportunity for young guys,” White said. “We have to keep pushing and build and work toward something special.”