At the end of a rough month, Coby White finally made his Charlotte Hornets home debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. The 26-year-old was surprised by retired North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, who sat courtside at the Spectrum Center to support his former pupil.

Williams has attended White's NBA games before, but Saturday's game marked a special occasion for the North Carolina native. White called seeing his former head coach a “blessing” in his post-game interview before elaborating on what the moment truly meant to him backstage.

“He called me last night to tell me he was coming through,” White said, via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He didn't tell me he was going to be court-side, though. It was good to see him. I got to see him over the All-Star break, too. Through this whole process, when I got traded, he's been checking in on me every step of the way. Obviously, he's a legendary coach, but I've been gone six or seven years. For him to still reach out, I would say our relationship is bigger than basketball. He's helped me throughout some tough times in my life and continues to help me.”

Article Continues Below

White was born and raised in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and remained home to play for his hometown college basketball team. After seven years with the Chicago Bulls, he is now back to playing in his home state.

White's first home game with the Hornets was nothing short of a spectacle. The combo guard dropped 20 points, three rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes off the bench, playing a big role in a 109-93 win over the Blazers. Charlotte is now 3-0 since White made his debut on Feb. 24 against his former team.