Albert White (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 13, 1977 Inkster, Michigan |
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| High school | Inkster (Inkster, Michigan) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5+1⁄2 in (1.97 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
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| NBA Draft | 1999 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1999–2012 | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Albert White, born on June 13, 1977, is a former professional basketball player from America. He played in many different basketball leagues both in the United States and other countries. In high school, he was one of the most celebrated basketball players in the nation.
He found success in college after moving from the University of Michigan to the University of Missouri. Even with his college success, he did not join the National Basketball Association (NBA). Instead, he played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and other professional leagues around the world.
During his high school years, he was named an All-American by Street & Smith, Parade, and McDonald's All-American. In college, he became a first-team All-Big 12 Conference player. He was also named Big 12 Player of the Year by CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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High School Basketball Star
Albert White attended Inkster High School in Metro Detroit, where he played basketball. In 1995, he finished third in the voting for Mr. Basketball of Michigan. This award goes to the best high school basketball player in the state.
He was named a Parade All-American during both his junior and senior years. Before his senior season, he was also named a Street & Smith All-American. As a senior, he earned the special title of McDonald's All-American. This means he was one of the best high school players in the entire country.
White was also chosen for the Detroit News/Detroit Free Press first-team All-State (also called the Dream Team) in both his junior and senior years. He was part of a very talented group of McDonald's All-Americans. This group included future NBA All-stars like Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.
College Basketball Journey
Albert White was part of an investigation related to the University of Michigan basketball scandal. He cooperated fully with the investigators. He was not found to have done anything wrong and was not charged with any crimes.
After his first year at the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, White transferred to the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team. This move happened because of a disagreement with his coach, Steve Fisher. He had been suspended for a semester for breaking a team rule.
White played for the Michigan Wolverines in the 1995–96 season. They went to the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament but lost in the first round. Later, due to the basketball scandal, Michigan had to cancel the records for all games from that season.
He returned to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1999 with Missouri. They also lost in the first round. However, in the 1998–99 season, the Missouri Tigers had their best finish in the Big 12 conference since it was formed.
Achievements at Missouri
During the 1998–99 season, Albert White made history for the Missouri Tigers. He was the first player to lead the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists all in the same season. He was also among the top five players in the Big 12 conference for both scoring and rebounding.
That season, he helped the Missouri Tigers end the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team's long winning streak at home. Kansas had won 35 home conference games in a row. White was named the Big 12 men's basketball player of the week twice that season. He also made the official All-Big 12 first team. CNN/Sports Illustrated named him the Player of the Year in the Big 12.
After his junior year, he decided to enter the 1999 NBA draft. This meant he gave up his last year of college eligibility. He was the first Missouri Tiger player to declare for the NBA draft early. Even though some people thought it was a risky choice, he was hoping to be drafted.
However, Albert White was not chosen in the NBA draft. Many other players who left college early that year, like Elton Brand and Steve Francis, were drafted and went on to have successful NBA careers.
Professional Basketball Career
After not being drafted into the NBA, Albert White was chosen in the 1999 CBA draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In his first year, he was named to the CBA All-Rookie team. He played for the Skyforce for about a year and a half.
He also played for other teams in different leagues. These included the Florida Sea Dragons and Oklahoma Storm in the United States Basketball League (USBL). He also played for the Brighton Bears in the British Basketball League (BBL).
During the 2002–03 season, playing for the Rockford Lightning, he was one of the top scorers and rebounders in the CBA. He was named to the All-CBA second team that season. In 2003–04, he played for the Incheon ET Land Black Slamer in the Korean Basketball League (KBL). In 2005, he played for the Detroit Pros in the International Basketball League (IBL).
In 2009, Albert White won a CBA championship with the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry.
He also played basketball in other countries, including Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Italy. Throughout his professional career, he was chosen as an All-star or All-league player in the CBA, BBL, KBL, and IBL. He was part of championship teams in the USBL in 2002, the CBA in 2003, and the LPB (Venezuela) in 2007.
On October 21, 2011, it was announced that White had made the final roster for the National Basketball League of Canada's London Lightning. He was later placed on the inactive reserve list.
