BIO: Kevin David White was born in Manly (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Manly basketball program. White attended Scots College in Sydney, New South Wales, and was a member of its 2004 premiership winning basketball team.

He was named the New South Wales High School Basketballer of the Year during his senior year in 2005.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Kevin White made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After the Sydney Kings’ license was revoked in 2008 due to financial difficulties following the collapse of sponsor Firepower, the Kings made a much-anticipated return to the NBL for the 2010/11 season. The new ownership aimed to rebuild the team and bring professional basketball back to the city after a two-year absence.

The Kings signed Julian Khazzouh, Ben Madgen, and Luke Martin as part of their local core, and brought in imports Taj McCullough and Rod Grizzard to add offensive firepower. Veteran Ben Knight, who had played for the previous Kings team, was later added to provide leadership and experience.

In addition to their new roster, the Kings were linked with Australia’s biggest basketball star, Andrew Bogut, who was seeking to play in the NBL during the 2011 NBA Lockout. Sydney was considered the favorite to secure his services, but despite Bogut’s expressed interest in joining the Kings, insurance issues prevented him from signing. His potential signing was expected to significantly boost Kings memberships and league attendance, but ultimately, it did not materialize. Bogut even offered to join the coaching staff temporarily, though that plan also fell through.

Rod Grizzard, who had previously played with Singapore and Melbourne and averaged 19 and 13 points respectively in those stints, struggled with Sydney, managing only 8 points per game on 36% shooting. The Kings released him after just five games. Fellow import Taj McCullough also struggled to perform consistently. In a crucial game against New Zealand, McCullough was told his contract was on the line, and after a lackluster performance where he scored just 10 points on 5-for-17 shooting, he too was released after eight games, having averaged 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

The Kings replaced McCullough with former NBA player Trey Gilder, while Patrick Sanders was brought in to replace Grizzard. Head coach Ian Robilliard, aware that the Kings would face an uphill battle in their return season, focused on building a team that could entertain fans and help maintain ticket sales.

Kevin White, playing a development role during Sydney’s comeback season, averaged 0.8 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game. Despite his limited minutes and contributions, White gained valuable experience. However, after finishing the season in last place with an 8–20 record, the Kings chose not to re-sign White for the following season.

2012/13
The 2012/13 season saw White return to the Kings and average 2.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1 assist. His second stint with the Kings saw him earn regular minutes and help Sydney finish in fourth place during the regular season with a 12-16 record.

2013/14
In 2013/14 White averaged 1.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assist and helped the Kings end the season with a record of 12-16 and a sixth place finish in the regular season.

2014/15
The 2014/15 season saw White improve his scoring output slightly, averaging 2.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. The Kings, however, endured a challenging season, finishing seventh with a 9-19 record. White had a standout performance late in the season, scoring a career-high 20 points against Adelaide in February 2015, showcasing his ability to step up when needed.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2015/16
Kevin White signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2015/16 season, hoping to secure more playing opportunities after long-time coach Gordie McLeod stepped down and was replaced by Rob Beveridge. Beveridge recruited key players, including sharpshooter Kirk Penney, big man AJ Ogilvy, and 2012 MVP Kevin Lisch, whom Beveridge had previously coached at Perth.

White’s role increased early in the season after a knee injury to Lisch in the Hawks’ opening game. White stepped up, delivering some of his best performances of the year, finishing the season with averages of 3.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Lisch returned later in the season with an impressive 15-point, 7-rebound effort in a loss to the Perth Wildcats (106–99). In January, Lisch was named NBL Player of the Month for December after leading the Hawks to five wins in six games, averaging 22.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds during that stretch. This included a career-high 40 points in a thrilling double-overtime win over New Zealand (103–96) in Auckland.

Illawarra finished the regular season in third place with a 17–11 record, earning them a semifinal matchup against the Perth Wildcats. The Hawks’ chances were hampered when Lisch suffered an ankle injury in Game 1, ruling him out of Game 2. Despite his absence, the Hawks rallied at home to even the series but ultimately fell to Perth in Game 3 (89–74), ending their playoff run.

Kirk Penney was named to the All-NBL Second Team, while AJ Ogilvy (16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and Kevin Lisch (19.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals) earned All-NBL First Team honours. Lisch also claimed the Best Defensive Player award and won his second NBL MVP, becoming only the second player in league history to win the award with two different teams.

2016/17
The Illawarra Hawks faced a challenging off-season in 2017, beginning with the departure of star player Kevin Lisch to Sydney, who offered a lucrative contract far beyond what the Hawks could afford. Veteran Kirk Penney also left the team, returning to play for the New Zealand Breakers.

Head coach Rob Beveridge quickly moved to sign Mitch Norton and Nick Kay, both of whom became free agents after the demise of the Townsville Crocodiles following the 2015/16 season. Norton and Kay were highly sought after by several NBL clubs, but thanks to a recommendation from former Crocodiles coach Shawn Dennis, both players chose to sign two-year deals with the Hawks in April 2016, despite receiving higher financial offers elsewhere.

Beveridge replaced Lisch with former Hawk and NBL MVP Rotnei Clarke, paired him with Marvelle Harris as the team’s second import, and retained a core group including Oscar Forman, Tim Coenraad, Rhys Martin, and Kevin White.

The Hawks struggled early in the season, sitting at the bottom of the ladder after the first four rounds. However, a strong finish from high-scoring Clarke (17 points per game) helped the team squeeze into the top four by just one game.

White delivered his best season to date, averaging 4.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

In the semifinals, the Hawks faced the top-seeded Adelaide 36ers, who easily took Game 1 (93–78), led by Jerome Randle’s 26 points and 4 assists. However, in a major upset, Illawarra won Games 2 (100–94) and 3 (106–98), eliminating the 36ers. Clarke led the Hawks in scoring with 20 points in the decisive Game 3.

The Hawks then faced Beveridge’s former team, the Perth Wildcats, in the Grand Final series. Perth swept the Hawks in three straight games to win their eighth NBL Championship. Clarke, Illawarra’s leading scorer, struggled against Perth, with Defensive Player of the Year Damian Martin limiting him to just eight shots in Game 1. Meanwhile, Perth’s Bryce Cotton was unstoppable, scoring a record-breaking 45 points in Game 3 to secure the NBL Finals MVP award.

2017/18
White was named captain of the Hawks in 2017 and went on to average 2.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assist. The Hawks narrowly missed out on making the playoffs, finishing fifth with a record of 12-16.

2018/19
After a challenging 2017/18 season, the Illawarra Hawks saw the departure of several key players, including Demitrius Conger (to Serbia), Rotnei Clarke (to Greece), Nicholas Kay (to Perth), Delvon Johnson (to Slovakia), and the retirements of Cody Ellis and Rhys Martin. In response, the Hawks underwent significant roster changes, bringing in Jordair Jett (via NZNBL), Brian Conklin (via France), David Andersen (via Melbourne), Cedric Jackson (via USA), and rookies Emmett Naar and Daniel Grida. They retained key players AJ Ogilvy, Tim Coenraad, Nic Pozoglou, and team captain Kevin White, aiming to improve from the previous season.

Illawarra kicked off the 2018/19 season with a dramatic quadruple-overtime loss to Melbourne (122–123). They followed this with a heavy defeat to Perth (101–61) but bounced back with a road win over Cairns (104–93). A brief two-game win streak later in October saw them defeat Brisbane (86–78) and Adelaide (120–109), lifting the Hawks to fifth place temporarily. However, inconsistency continued to plague the team, as a four-game losing streak in November, with losses to Perth (90–81), Sydney (81–90), and Adelaide (104–79), hampered their playoff hopes. The Hawks finished with a 12-16 record, missing out on the playoffs.

While not known for his scoring, Kevin White (3.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) contributed several strong performances during the season. His standout games included an 11-point effort against Cairns (4 Feb 2019), a 10-point, 2-assist game against Adelaide (25 Nov 2018), and a solid 9-point, 3-rebound, and 3-assist outing against Melbourne (23 Jan 2019). White also delivered an all-around game with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists against Brisbane (27 Oct 2018).

The Hawks were led offensively by Brian Conklin (14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists), Todd Blanchfield (13.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), who earned the Hawks’ club MVP award, Jordair Jett (11.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists), and AJ Ogilvy (9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks). Despite strong individual efforts, the team’s inability to find consistency ultimately left them outside the playoffs in one of the most competitive NBL seasons to date.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2019/20
In 2019/20 White averaged 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assist and helped the 36ers end the season with a record of 12-16 and a seventh place finish in the regular season.

PERTH WILDCATS
2020/21
After winning the previous season’s Grand Final, which concluded early due to Sydney withdrawing amid COVID-19 concerns, Perth faced struggles in NBL21 as the league navigated numerous COVID-related obstacles. Losing key players like Terrico White and Nick Kay to overseas opportunities, the Wildcats signed John Mooney to fill the void in the frontcourt. Additionally, with the NBL reducing the number of import roster spots from three to two, Perth was unable to re-sign Miles Plumlee. As the season commenced amid ongoing delays and no set schedule due to travel limitations, teams were left in uncertainty each week about their upcoming opponents and locations.

Perth stumbled early on, and after five rounds, they found themselves in seventh place. The NBL Cup was introduced as a solution to ongoing travel disruptions, moving all teams to Melbourne for eight games. It was during this period that Bryce Cotton (23.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) elevated his game. This allowed Todd Blanchfield (15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists), a new recruit from Illawarra, to thrive, delivering a career-best season and setting a Wildcats record for most three-pointers made in a season. Alongside Mooney (16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals), the trio lifted Perth back to the top of the ladder.

As the season neared its conclusion, Perth looked poised to claim a third consecutive championship. However, fate intervened when Cotton suffered a season-ending injury in a loss to Melbourne (64–78) during the final regular-season game. Despite this setback, Cotton was still named the league’s Most Valuable Player but could not participate in the Wildcats’ playoff run.

Melbourne United overtook Perth for the top spot on the ladder in round 13, finishing with a 28-8 record while Perth settled for second place (25-11). In the semifinals, Perth lost the first game to Illawarra (72–74) but bounced back in game two with a strong showing from Luke Travers (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Mooney (18 points and 10 rebounds) to win 79-71. In game three, Blanchfield (24 points and 5 rebounds) and Mitchell Norton (15 points and 4 rebounds) stepped up in Cotton’s absence, securing a 79-71 victory over the Hawks to reach the Grand Final.

In the Grand Final series against Melbourne United, Perth faced a formidable opponent that had been consistent all season. Games one and two, played in Perth due to travel restrictions, saw Blanchfield score 27 points and grab 7 rebounds in game one, but United edged out a 73-70 victory. Despite another valiant effort in game two, Perth fell short again, losing 74-83, as Chris Goulding (21 points) and Jock Landale (12 points, 17 rebounds) led Melbourne to victory.

With Norton (8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) battling injuries, Perth’s backcourt was severely weakened. Despite Kevin White delivering the best three-game stretch of his career (10 points in game one, 12 in game two, and 14 in game three), Perth could not recover. Game three, held in Melbourne in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,000, saw United claim the championship with an 81-76 win, powered by Jock Landale’s Finals MVP performance (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks). Melbourne celebrated their sixth NBL championship and second under the United branding.

White played in 39 games for the Wildcats, averaging 3.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

2021/22
This season saw significant changes for the Perth Wildcats, beginning with the departure of long-time coach Trevor Gleeson, who left to join the NBA’s Toronto Raptors after leading Perth to five championships in seven seasons. Perth also lost mid-season signing Will Magnay and several key bench players, including Clint Steindl, Jarrad Weeks, and Jarred Bairstow, who all signed multi-year deals with the new Tasmania JackJumpers under former Wildcats assistant Scott Roth.

In response, Perth rebuilt their squad by bringing in American coach Scott Morrison to replace Gleeson, signing imports Vic Law (via Brisbane) and Michael Frazier III, and filling their final roster spot with Matthew Hodgson (also via Brisbane).

Due to injuries to key players such as Mitchell Norton, Matthew Hodgson, Todd Blanchfield, and Michael Frazier during the season, Kevin White saw increased opportunities, averaging 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 21 games.

The Wildcats began the season with five straight home games before embarking on a 14-game road stretch due to Western Australia’s COVID-19 border restrictions. Despite being away from home for an extended period, Perth spent most of the season in the top four, and were widely considered Grand Final contenders.

Bryce Cotton (22.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals) and Vic Law (20.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks) formed a dynamic duo, both ranking among the league’s top three scorers and leading Perth to an NBL-best 89.1 points per game.

With a 13-6 record and second place on the ladder, Perth returned to Western Australia for their final nine home games. The team decided to replace Michael Frazier with big man John Brown III, who arrived in the country ready to play but was unable to receive clearance from his former team in time for the playoffs. As a result, Perth faced the awkward situation of reintegrating Frazier into the lineup while Brown headed back to the USA.

Earlier today, @PerthWildcats head coach Scott Morrison addressed the awkward nature of how things have played out with Michael Frazier II and John Brown III.#NBL22 pic.twitter.com/scxWbnKfDQ

— NBL (@NBL) April 6, 2022

A season-ending knee injury to Law, combined with Bryce Cotton missing several games, derailed Perth’s momentum. The Wildcats won only three of their final nine home games, entering their last regular season game needing a win over South East Melbourne to secure a playoff spot. Despite holding an eight-point lead in the second half, the Phoenix staged a comeback and defeated Perth in a thrilling two-point overtime victory, ending the Wildcats’ historic 36-season playoff streak, which had started in 1986.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2022/23
After two consecutive seasons reaching the NBL semi-finals, head coach Brian Goorjian departed the Hawks, signing a deal to coach the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League. Goorjian’s long-time assistant Jacob Jackomas was promoted to head coach, tasked with continuing the Hawks’ recent success. However, Illawarra faced a mass exodus of talent following the coaching change, retaining only Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling from their core rotation. Duop Reath (to Lebanon) and Justinian Jessup (to Spain) went overseas, Antonius Cleveland (to Adelaide), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (to Melbourne), and Harry Froling (to Brisbane) signed with other NBL teams, and long-time Hawk AJ Ogilvy retired.

Illawarra moved to replace their outgoing stars with locals Deng Deng (via Brisbane), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (via Perth), and Mangok Mathiang, who had been playing in the NBL1 while recovering from a long-term injury. They completed the roster by adding imports Justin Robinson and George King.

The Hawks split their opening two games, losing to rivals Sydney (97–106) before defeating South East Melbourne (85–72), with Tyler Harvey leading the way with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. However, their season quickly derailed due to injuries, beginning with Justin Robinson’s meniscus tear in the opening game, requiring surgery. Kevin White (via Perth) was brought in as a short-term replacement. Nine games later, the Hawks released George King (10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who struggled to recover from a lingering leg injury.

Peyton Siva (9.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.6 steals), formerly of New Zealand, was signed as Robinson’s replacement, but he managed only 11 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Adelaide, compounding the Hawks’ woes.

Illawarra finished the season with the worst record in club history (3-25). Tyler Harvey (18.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals) led the team in scoring, while Sam Froling (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) won the team’s MVP award. White played five games, averaging 0.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists before retiring from NBL action.

Kevin White played twelve seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Perth Wildcats, Adelaide 36ers and Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 299 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (832 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.