CJ Bruton
February 2, 2021
Leonard White
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 21/02/71
- Place of Birth: Florida (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 102
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Faulkner State CC (1989-1991) / Southern University (1991-1993)
- NBL DEBUT: 11/04/97
- AGE AT DEBUT: 26
- LAST NBL GAME: 25/04/97
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: Brisbane 1997
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Leonard White was born in Florida (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Leonard White made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 26 years of age. He scored 23 points in his first game.
Following the previous season’s quarterfinal defeat to Melbourne, Brisbane moved on from Mike Mitchell (to North Melbourne), Andrew Goodwin (to North Melbourne), Luke Gribble, Ryan Stolberg and Shaun Guy, while captain Leroy Loggins, Steve Woodberry, Mike McKay, Rodger Smith, Mark Dalton, Robert Sibley and Aaron Honeyman returned under second-year head coach David Ingham. Leonard White (via Pau-Orthez), Andrew Ramsay (via Geelong), Toby Zaremba (via Gold Coast), John Szigeti (via Gold Coast) and rookie Ben Thompson (via AIS) were added, although Ramsay did not appear in an NBL game.
White’s best game came in his NBL debut and Brisbane’s season opener against Melbourne on April 11, where White (23 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) made 9-of-17 shots in 37 minutes as the Bullets defeated the Tigers 111-105. Woodberry (28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and McKay (24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) provided support, while Andrew Gaze (33 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led Melbourne.
White (16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 3 games) had previously been selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 53rd pick of the 1993 NBA Draft after starring at Southern University, with Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor saying after the draft, “I was surprised he was still there. But happy.” He had played briefly with Pau-Orthez in France before joining Brisbane and averaged more than 33 minutes per game during his short NBL stint.
One week later, White (13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) made four of 15 shots as defending champion South East Melbourne defeated Brisbane 99-77, with Woodberry (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) and Loggins (15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) leading the Bullets.
White’s final NBL game came against Townsville on April 25, where White (13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made five of 10 shots in 28 minutes as the Crocodiles defeated Brisbane 104-96. Loggins (39 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block) led the Bullets and Woodberry (11 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) recorded a triple-double, while Derek Rucker (32 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) led Townsville.
Brisbane cut White after the opening three games, with Dwayne McClain (via Gold Coast) brought in as his replacement. McClain (16.8 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals across 21 games) had played the final six games of Gold Coast’s 1996 season before the Rollers did not return in 1997 and became one of Brisbane’s main scorers following his arrival. White’s three games were his only NBL appearances before he returned to the United States and joined the Grand Rapids Hoops for the 1997/98 CBA season.
McClain (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) suffered an injury after playing only 7:39 against Townsville on September 13 as Brisbane defeated the Crocodiles 82-76. The injury kept him out of Brisbane’s final four regular-season games and both playoff games against Perth.
Woodberry (21.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2 steals across 32 games) narrowly led Brisbane in scoring and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team, while Loggins (21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 32 games) also earned All-NBL Second Team honours after bouncing back from career-low production the previous season. Loggins also represented Brisbane at the NBL All-Star Game and won the three-point shootout. McKay (18.6 points and 5 rebounds across 7 games) was productive during seven appearances, while Smith (9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals across 32 games), Dalton (8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds across 32 games) and Thompson (6.9 points across 29 games) provided the other major contributions. The Bullets remained in the playoff race throughout an inconsistent campaign before finishing the regular season fifth with a 15-15 record.
Brisbane opened its quarterfinal series at the Perth Entertainment Centre on October 4, where Loggins (32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks) and Woodberry (23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led the Bullets, while Ricky Grace (18 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Todd Lichti (15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Andrew Vlahov (14 points and 12 rebounds) led Perth to an 81-79 win.
Game two moved to Brisbane on October 7, where Woodberry (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) and Dalton (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) led the Bullets, while Grace (25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals), Vlahov (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and David Van Dyke (16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) led Perth to an 88-71 victory and completed the two-game sweep.
Leonard White played one season in the NBL. He averaged 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1 assists in 3 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 26 | Brisbane | 15-15 (5) | 3 | 100 | 49 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 42 | 43% | 1 | 6 | 17% | 12 | 17 | 71% | 49% | 44% | 23 | Totals | 3 | 100 | 49 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 42 | 42.9% | 1 | 6 | 16.7% | 12 | 17 | 70.6% | 50% | 44% | 23 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 26 | Brisbane | 15-15 (5) | 3 | 33.3 | 16.3 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 43% | 0.3 | 2.0 | 17% | 4.0 | 5.7 | 71% | 49% | 44% | 23 | Total | 3 | 33.3 | 16.3 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 42.9% | 0.1 | 16.7% | 0.3 | 2.0 | 70.6% | 50% | 44% | 23 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 23 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Leonard White was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with pick #53 in the 1993 NBA Draft.
White played games in the NBA. He averaged 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists per game over his NBA career.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Mexico - Mexico City Aztecas (1994–1995) | France - Pau-Orthez (1996) | Philippines - Purefoods TJ Hotdogs (2002), Red Bull Barako Coffee Drink (2004–2005), Sta. Lucia Realtors (2004–2006), Meralco Bolts (2005) | South Korea - Seoul SK Knights (2004–2005) | Venezuela - Cocodrilos de Caracas (2005)
White joined the Mexico City Aztecas for the 1994–95 Continental Basketball Association season, playing his first season in Mexico, as the Aztecas finished 18–37 in the South Division under coach Mack Calvin alongside teammates Dexter Boney, Kermit Holmes, and Greg Grant.
In that 1994–95 Mexico City season, White led the Aztecas in rebounding with 370 total boards and also recorded 69 steals, while Boney scored a team-high 1,168 points and Grant paced the club with 275 assists.
White later played in France with Pau-Orthez in 1996, appearing in nine games and averaging 22.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the French top division.
In 2002, White joined Purefoods TJ Hotdogs in the Philippine Basketball Association, playing 11 games and averaging 16.9 points while adding 124 total rebounds, 22 assists, and 26 steals across 362 minutes in the Governors’ Cup import role.
White moved to South Korea in 2004 with the Seoul SK Knights in the KBL, arriving as an import signing, and he was later referenced as part of the club’s 2004–05 season group alongside teammates Kevin Freeman and Cho Sang-hyun.
During 2004–05 in the Philippines, White also logged a one-game stint with Red Bull Barako Coffee Drink, scoring 23 points in 45 minutes with 13 rebounds and three assists, before later joining Sta. Lucia Realtors and producing 82 points across three games in 2004–05 and then 123 points across six games in 2005–06, including a 28-point high in the 2005–06 sample.
White’s later international stops included time in Venezuela with Cocodrilos de Caracas and a Philippines stint with Meralco Bolts.
COLLEGE
White played college basketball at Faulkner State Community College from 1989 to 1991 before transferring to Southern University, where he competed from 1991 to 1993.
White’s junior college years at Faulkner State established him as one of the program’s most productive scorers, and he was later credited as the Sun Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer with a 22.7 points-per-game scoring average during his time there.
In the 1990-91 season at Faulkner State, White averaged 26.6 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, a year that included recognition on a 1990-91 junior college All-American team listing that named him from “Faulkner St. JC.”
After moving up to Division I at Southern, White immediately became the focal point of the Jaguars’ offense and frontcourt production across two seasons in the Southwestern Athletic Conference under head coach Ben Jobe.
In 1991-92, White played in 30 games as a junior and averaged 22.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from the field, establishing himself as Southern’s leading scorer and top rebounder for the season.
Across that 1991-92 campaign, he produced a high-usage scoring profile while still contributing across the box score, with his season line also reflecting three-point range as part of his overall efficiency metrics that carried into his senior year.
In 1992-93, White appeared in 30 games again as a senior and averaged 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, finishing with a 45.0% field-goal mark while continuing to space the floor from deep as Southern compiled a 21-10 overall record and a 9-5 SWAC record.
Southern’s 1992-93 year-by-year record included a second-place SWAC regular-season finish before the Jaguars won the SWAC Tournament, where they beat Grambling 105-91 in the quarterfinals, defeated Alcorn State 93-75 in the semifinals, and then won the championship game 101-80 over Jackson State to secure the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
White’s senior-season team slate also included notable non-conference results reflected on the program’s official schedule, such as opening the season with a 100-83 win over Paul Quinn on December 1, 1992, then playing road games at UAB, Chattanooga, and Middle Tennessee, and later posting high-scoring home wins including 127-91 over Central Florida and 107-73 over Grambling State during SWAC play.
In the 1993 NCAA Tournament, Southern entered as a No. 13 seed and upset No. 4 seed Georgia Tech 93-78 on March 19, 1993, a game that featured a key second-half stretch where White threw down a dunk to break a 59-59 tie into a Southern lead and the Jaguars did not trail again after that point.
Southern’s run ended two days later in the second round with a 90-80 loss to George Washington on March 21, 1993, but White’s scoring and rebounding output across the season anchored a roster that advanced further than most SWAC programs historically did in the NCAA bracket.
Across White’s two Division I seasons at Southern, he played 60 games and produced career averages of 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 46.6% from the field, 38.8% on three-pointers, and 71.2% at the free-throw line.
White’s overall college résumé across junior college and Southern included a documented jump from NJCAA national scoring impact into Division I lead-option production, and his Southern career concluded in 1992-93 before he entered the 1993 NBA Draft and was selected 53rd overall in the second round.
He completed his college career at Southern in 1993, consistent with graduating prior to 1997.
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