Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, White played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he was named the national freshman of the Year by ESPN, and he was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the ninth overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft.

Despite his lofty 9th overall selection, White quickly fell out of favor with new Pistons coach Rick Carlisle and played in only 16 games during the 2001–2002 season, averaging 3.5 points in 8.1 minutes.

Flashes of brilliance on the offensive end were overshadowed by lack of defensive commitment, drawing the same ire from coach Jeff Bzdelik he had received from Carlisle in Detroit.

With a surefire star in Anthony now on board, Vandeweghe was able to concede failure and package White with fellow bust Nikoloz Tskitishvili.

Late in the 2004–2005 season, the pair was dealt to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Eduardo Nájera, Luis Flores, and a future first-round pick.

In 2013, he was signed by the Petron Blaze Boosters, also in the Philippine Basketball Association, replacing Renaldo Balkman, who had been banned from the league after an altercation with a teammate.