Coby White was proud of his coach after Billy Donovan was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The longtime coach got the honor before the Chicago Bulls took on and defeated the Charlotte Hornets with relative ease. Donovan was doused with water on the sidelines after the win, and then he was doused with praise.
Coby White praises Billy Donovan after win

Apr 4, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan directs the team against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bulls stunned Billy Donovan, not by beating the lowly Charlotte Hornets but by dumping water on him like he was a college football coach who’d just won a huge bowl game. He said he thought someone might’ve congratulated him but not that they’d dump water on him.
Coby White believes that Donovan’s recent honor, making it into the Hall of Fame, was befitting of more. He said via the Chicago Sun-Times, “First off, there’s only a select few people in this world involved with this sport that get inducted into the Hall of Fame, so that’s a huge accomplishment, a huge blessing. I’ve been following Coach since I was a young Bull, watching him in Florida.”
As for the moment, White said, “That’s a big-time moment for a special person, special coach who has impacted every guy in this locker room, our lives off the court, so we wanted to celebrate him. He’s a hell of a coach and an even better person.”
The win was not only a fitting celebration of a coach’s legendary accomplishment. It was also a win that propelled them even closer to the eighth seed in the East. They’ve locked up a play-in tournament appearance, but getting the eighth seed vs. the ninth or 10th is a significant upgrade.
Chicago is one game up on the Miami Heat for the ninth seed, and they have one head-to-head game remaining. The Bulls are one game back of the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed, and they’re two back of the Orlando Magic for the most covetous of the play-in spots.
The Bulls have the Cleveland Cavaliers, Heat, and then Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers on the schedule to close out the season.
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