It’s a brisk, January afternoon in Chicago, and Coby White has a game to get to — the 42nd of his career, against the Washington Wizards. Hours before tip, White slowly rolls up to the player’s entrance to the United Center, where an arena security guard meets him and wordlessly swings the entry gate open.
That gesture might seem mundane to some. But even then, it was a sign of how far White had come in his rookie season.
“The first couple games, I guess because I was a rookie, [security] would come up to my window and be like, ‘What’s your name?