‘Bittersweet’ 2021 ring drives Jack White

• Jack White is looking to help lead United to an NBL championship after missing 2021's title with injury
• White had his best performance of the season against Perth with 26 points and 16 rebounds on January 22
• United won all three games, including two at RAC Arena, against the Wildcats this season

Melbourne United forward Jack White has opened up about the heartbreak of missing the club’s 2021 NBL championship with a ruptured achilles and how it has added “fuel to the fire” ahead of this year’s playoffs.

White had to watch on from the sidelines as the likes of Jock Landale, Jo Lual-Acuil and current teammates Chris Goulding and Shea Ili come back from 1-0 down to beat this year’s semi-final opponents, the Perth Wildcats, to claim United’s second NBL title in front of a packed house at John Cain Arena.

In his rookie season, White played 11 games, averaging 9.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per game – playing an instrumental role in leading United to top spot on the ladder before his season ended in April. When the confetti covered the courts at John Cain Arena, White’s teammates reassured the then 24-year-old about the impact he had on their championship victory, but he didn’t feel that way.

“It was a different sort of situation with Covid and everything, the boys were on the road a lot and I was stuck in rehab doing the everyday, mundane stuff but I was fanboying from a distance,” the former Duke University star said.

“Being away from the team and stuck in rehab made me look at things with a better lens and it inspired me to get after my rehab a little more.

“It was a cool experience being on the sidelines when the boys were able to get the win in the finals series and they all kept coming up to me and saying I was just as big a part of the win as anyone else. It never really felt like that for me.

“It was definitely bittersweet, you’re always envious of your teammates being able to play in those types of games.

“It drove me though… the sacrifices have been worth it.”

The drive for White, who won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, is even higher considering Melbourne were bounced out in the semi-finals by the Tasmania JackJumpers in his return season in 2021-22. Then the team from the Apple Isle came back to haunt United again in last year’s finals, without White who was playing in the US.

His coach, Dean Vickerman, said White was primed to play a huge role as they prepare to take on the Wildcats in game one of the semi-finals on Thursday night at John Cain Arena despite some injury concerns later in the regular season.

“Whitey had a little bit of a thing going on with his back towards the end of the season but he’s put in a few full scrimmage days, where he looked really good and pulled up really well,” he said.

“He has grown as a player over that period of time (since 2021).

“He had possibly the best game of the year in Perth against Perth (26 points and 16 rebounds on January 22).

“I think just having his body in a really good place and being confident in his ability to mix up his game with getting to the rim and shooting the three ball, when he gets that balance right he’s extremely hard to stop.

“He’s in a really good place to attack this finals series.”

Having finished the regular season in second place, earning homecourt advantage against Perth, by the time game one comes around Melbourne wouldn’t have played a game for 19 days. However, United and Vickerman have made an effort to keep things light-hearted during the FIBA break, including their annual cricket game, where some of their American imports may have struggled to pick up the rules while others, not to name names, may have failed to back up their reputation as ‘cricketers’.

On Thursday though, it will be all business for United against a team they have a recent dominance against, winning all three games against the Wildcats this season, including both at Perth’s RAC Arena, starting with a 97-68 victory in round three. They also kept five-time MVP Bryce Cotton quiet in both games he played in, scoring just five and 14 points, down from his career-high average of 28.5.

But it’s the frontcourt match-ups United will have to watch out for as well after the combination of Keanu Pinder, Kristian Doolittle, Izan Almansa and former United player David Okwera dominated the South East Melbourne Phoenix in their Play-in Seeding Qualifier. Pinder had arguably his best game of the season with 35 points and 11 rebounds while Doolittle had 20 points and 11 rebounds but the Wildcats cleaned up on the glass, outrebounding the Phoenix 58-34, in the 122-105 victory.

White, who will play a big role in that frontcourt battle alongside Rob Loe, Marcus Lee and Kyle Bowen, said you can’t discount the talent around Cotton.

“Doolittle had a 30 ball on us last time and Keanu is coming off his best game of the season, then you add Almansa and obviously (David) Okwera, who we’ve all played with here in Melbourne and know what he can do,” he said.

“These guys all demand respect, it’s so much more than Bryce… but fortunately I believe we have the personnel to handle those matchups and get the job done.”

Game one of the semi-final series between Melbourne and Perth tips-off at 7.30pm (AEST) Thursday night.