A former UNC basketball guard had nothing but praise for a former rival and Duke guard.
It's no secret that the Duke and North Carolina rivalry is among the biggest in sports and can get heated at times. But even with their battles over the years, there's a mutual respect between the two schools.
That usually spills over into the pros. Outside of some friendly bets, there's a level of respect for former players who have battled on the court or the football field. That was the case in Charlotte as a Tar Heel and a Blue Devil are now teammates.
The Charlotte Hornets acquired Coby White at the NBA trade deadline from the Chicago Bulls and then agreed to a new deal with him this offseason. But another move they made was acquiring former Duke standout Grayson Allen in a deal with the Phoenix Suns.
White and Allen never faced off against each other in college but they arefamiliar with one another.
But now, as teammates, they will have to work together and that doesn't appear to be any issue at all. White recently praised Allen for his leadership and his ability to be a winner wherever he's played so far.
Here is what he told the Charlotte Observer about his new teammate:
“The one thing I’ve always noticed about G.A. is his ability to impact winning. Everywhere he’s gone, he’s won. Whether it’s Milwaukee, he’s been a winner everywhere he goes. He’s been part of a winning culture. He’s been part of a winning organization. So I think first and foremost, he knows what winning looks like, and he knows what it takes to win at this level.”
It's nice to see White give praise to his new teammate no matter the different color shade of blue that they wore. But White will have to get used to playing alongside some former Blue Devils as Charlotte also has Sion James and Kon Knueppel on the roster.
The Hornets are attempting to build something special in Charlotte and some former Blue Blood rivals could be a huge part of that success down the line. And that would be pretty cool to see for both sides of the rivalry.
