JoJo White

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

White was born in St. Louis, the son of a Baptist minister, George L. White Sr. and his wife, Elizabeth Rebecca Guynn. As the youngest of seven children, he had three elder sisters and three elder brothers. He started playing basketball at six and played on the basketball team at McKinley High School in St. Louis. Due to his age, White was eligible to play college basketball a semester early at the University of Kansas. He joined the team in mid-season, entered the NCAA tournament, and played in a Midwest regional final against Texas Western that went to double overtime; White made a shot at the first overtime buzzer but was ruled out of bounds. The team lost in the second overtime. White became a leader of the team and made the consensus NCAA All-American Second Team in 1968 and 1969. He graduated with a degree in physical education. After college, White played on the 1968 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Mexico City, which went undefeated (9–0) and won the gold medal against Yugoslavia. After the Olympics, White was drafted ninth overall by the Boston Celtics. He had a mandatory two-year military commitment with the US Marine Corps, but Boston general manager Red Auerbach shortened it. White made the All-NBA rookie team during the 1970 season. He was an All-Star for seven straight years from 1971 through 1977. In 1974, White and the Celtics reached the NBA Finals and defeated the Milwaukee Bucks for the championship. In 1976, White was part of a dominant Celtics squad that won the NBA championship; in Game 5 of the Finals, a triple-overtime win against the Phoenix Suns, White scored 33 points and had 9 assists, logging 60 minutes of play. He was named Finals MVP. White set a franchise record of 488 consecutive games played. He suffered an injury during the 1977–78 season. White was traded by the Celtics to the Golden State Warriors in the middle of the 1978–79 season. He retired as a player after 1981 with the Kansas City Kings. He returned to the Jayhawks as an assistant coach from 1982–83. In 1987 at age 41, White attempted a professional comeback as a player-assistant coach with the Topeka Sizzlers of the Continental Basketball Association. On April 9, 1982, his number 10 was hung from the rafters at the Boston Garden. He made the All-NBA Second Team in the 1974–75 and 1976–77 NBA seasons. White was director of special projects and community relations wi

In Their Own Story

The tension leading to White's departure from Boston was palpable. As Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe noted, being part of the "Celtic mystique" meant more to White than perhaps any player in the modern era. Yet, circumstances dictated a trade to the Golden State Warriors in the middle of the 1978–79 season following an injury that ended his streak of consecutive games and diminished his all-star form. Before leaving for Kansas City in 1980, where he retired after the 1980–81 season, White had already etched his name into history with an iron-man streak of 488 consecutive games played during the 1970s. This durability was a hallmark of a player who faced physical challenges, from his college days losing a thrilling overtime game to Texas Western in the NCAA tournament to his professional battles against future Hall of Famers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

Reader's Guide

Jo Jo White was a point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1969 to 1979, winning two NBA championships and earning Finals MVP in 1976. He was a seven-time All-Star and held the Celtics record for consecutive games played (488). After his playing career, he served as an assistant coach at Kansas and later worked in community relations for the Celtics.

Did You Know?

• White set a Celtics record with 488 consecutive games played.
• He scored 33 points and had 9 assists in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, a triple-overtime win often called 'the greatest game ever played.'
• White was drafted ninth overall by the Celtics in 1969 despite having a two-year military commitment with the US Marine Corps.
• He was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Mexico City, going undefeated (9–0).