James White (basketball) facts for kids
White with the New York Knicks
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| [[Minnesota Timberwolves|Minnesota Timberwolves]] | |
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| Player development coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 21, 1982 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| High school | Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia) |
| Listed height | 2.01 m (6 ft 7.13 in) |
| Listed weight | 98 kg (216 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 2006–2020 |
| Coaching career | 2021–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2006–2007 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2006–2007 | →Austin Toros |
| 2007–2008 | Fenerbahçe |
| 2008–2009 | Anaheim Arsenal |
| 2009 | Houston Rockets |
| 2009–2010 | Spartak Saint Petersburg |
| 2010–2011 | Dinamo Sassari |
| 2011–2012 | Pesaro |
| 2012–2013 | New York Knicks |
| 2013–2014 | Reggiana |
| 2014–2015 | UNICS Kazan |
| 2015–2016 | Cedevita Zagreb |
| 2016–2017 | Petrochimi Bandar Imam |
| 2017–2018 | Reggiana |
| 2018–2019 | Benedetto Cento |
| 2019–2020 | Virtus Roma |
| As coach: | |
| 2021 | Houston Push (assistant) |
| 2022 | Sugarland Imperials |
| 2023–present | Minnesota Timberwolves (player development coach) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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James William White IV (born October 21, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now a player development coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James White is famous for his amazing athleticism and incredible dunks. Since high school, he has been known for his "between-the-legs" dunk, which he performed in many ways. He could also jump from the free throw line and dunk the basketball with both hands! People called him 'Flight' White because of his jumping ability. He competed in two big dunk contests: the 2001 McDonald's High School Slam Dunk Contest and the 2006 NCAA College Slam Dunk Contest.
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James White's College Basketball Journey
James White started his college basketball career at the University of Florida. He played there during the 2001–02 season. He helped the Florida Gators team achieve a good record of 22 wins and 9 losses. He played in almost every game, starting a couple of times. On average, he played about 20 minutes per game. He scored about 6 points and grabbed nearly 3 rebounds per game.
After his first year, he moved to the University of Cincinnati. He had to sit out the 2002–03 season, which is a common rule when players transfer. From 2003 to 2006, he became a key starter for the Bearcats. In his final year, he averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.
Playing for the Cincinnati Bearcats
James White joined the Cincinnati Bearcats in December 2003. He quickly became a starter for the team. He showed his skills by scoring points, grabbing rebounds, and helping his teammates with assists. He even joined the track and field team in the spring. He was good enough to compete in the NCAA Regionals for high jump and triple jump.
During his time at Cincinnati, he often led the team in assists. He also scored in double digits many times. In the 2005–06 season, he became the team's top scorer, averaging almost 16 points per game. He scored over 1,000 points in his college career, with most of those points coming from his time as a Bearcat.
James White's Professional Basketball Career
James White began his professional basketball career in 2006. He was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA draft. Soon after, his rights were traded to the Indiana Pacers.
Playing in the NBA
After playing in some preseason games, James White was signed by the San Antonio Spurs in November 2006. The Spurs sometimes sent him to their NBA Development League team, the Austin Toros. This allowed him to get more playing time and practice.
In March 2007, James White made his official NBA debut with the Spurs. He scored 9 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in his first game. He even started a game in April 2007, scoring a career-high 17 points. He was part of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the NBA championship in 2007.
Later, in March 2009, he signed a contract with the Houston Rockets. He played a few games for them before being traded to the Denver Nuggets in September 2009.
In July 2012, James White signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks. He played for the Knicks' Summer League Team, showing his skills in scoring, rebounding, and assisting. He also played for the Erie BayHawks in the NBA D-League for short periods. In February 2013, he was chosen to represent the Knicks in the slam dunk contest at the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. He also scored a career-high 20 points that year.
Playing in Europe and Iran
James White also had a successful career playing basketball in other countries.
- In 2007, he joined Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He even won the Turkish dunk contest in 2008.
- In 2009, he played for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia.
- From 2010 to 2011, he played for Dinamo Sassari in Italy. He was the top scorer in the Italian League that season.
- In 2011, he signed with Scavolini Pesaro, another Italian team.
- In 2013, he returned to Italy to play for Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia. He helped his team win the EuroChallenge title.
- In 2014, he played for UNICS Kazan in Russia.
- In 2015, he joined Cedevita Zagreb in Croatia.
- In 2016, James White played for Petrochimi Bandar Imam in Iran.
Playing in the BIG3 League
In the summer of 2017, James White joined a team called Trilogy in the BIG3 league. This league features 3-on-3 basketball with former NBA players. Trilogy had an amazing first season, winning every game and becoming the first-ever BIG3 champions. James White also won the Defensive Player of the Year award that season.
He was still a member of Trilogy when they won the BIG3 Championship again in 2021. This made him the first person to win two BIG3 championships as a player. As of 2022, James White was still playing with Trilogy and was also the team captain.
James White's Career Statistics
Here are some of James White's statistics from his time playing in the NBA and EuroLeague.
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07† | San Antonio | 6 | 2 | 22.8 | .439 | .286 | .800 | 3.3 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 8.3 |
| 2008–09 | Houston | 4 | 0 | 2.8 | .600 | .500 | .000 | .0 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 1.8 |
| 2012–13 | New York | 57 | 16 | 7.6 | .431 | .341 | .579 | .8 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 2.2 |
| Career | 67 | 18 | 8.7 | .438 | .340 | .676 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | .1 | 2.7 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Houston | 5 | 0 | 2.4 | .333 | .500 | .000 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.4 |
| 2013 | New York | 4 | 0 | 2.3 | .500 | .000 | .000 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
| Career | 9 | 0 | 2.3 | .385 | .250 | .000 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.2 | |
EuroLeague Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Fenerbahçe | 21 | 11 | 19.7 | .515 | .371 | .765 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| 2014–15 | UNICS | 10 | 9 | 27.8 | .467 | .320 | .846 | 4.9 | .7 | .7 | .3 | 10.0 | 10.5 |
| Career | 31 | 20 | 22.3 | .494 | .350 | .800 | 3.5 | .9 | .6 | .2 | 7.8 | 8.2 | |
