Nuggets snap up United star White

IF THERE is a player who is defined by his comebacks and not his setbacks – Melbourne United forward Jack White is the man.

Eighteen months after an Achilles injury ended his rookie NBL season, White (pictured) has completed a remarkable turnaround to pick up an NBA contract.

The United big man secured a two-way deal with the Denver Nuggets on Monday after impressing at the pre-season Summer League.

White excelled for Denver, averaging eight points on 70 per cent shooting, adding 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 1.3 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game. He also had a gamehigh 15 rebounds in one match while he displayed his ability on the offensive end as a selfless teammate.

An emotional White was lost for words when United coach Dean Vickerman called to congratulate him.

The rising Boomer knows it wasn’t that long ago when his career was on hold after sustaining an Achilles injury.

A year-and-a-half on, White is NBA bound and he credits his resilience for the impressive rise.

“I feel like I’ve shown the ability to bounce back at a high level, especially after a serious Achilles injury like that,” White said prior to dropping seven points, nine rebounds and two assists in his final Summer League game against the Utah Jazz on Monday.

“People know who I am and have seen improvement since my college days at Duke, especially coming off the injury.

“This is an amazing opportunity for me to take another step towards living out my dream of playing in the NBA, so I couldn’t be more grateful to the Nuggets for giving me a shot.”

White has long aspired to become an NBA player, dating back to his junior days in his hometown Traralgon, in regional Victoria.

He joins a growing cohort of players from Melbourne United that have taken the leap into the NBA, following championship teammate Jock Landale, as well as NBA Summer League players Jo LualAcuil Jnr and Yudai Baba.