Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Pinson first attended Oak Ridge Military Academy as a freshman, before transferring to Wesleyan Christian Academy in nearby High Point, where he was coached by Keith Gatlin and teammates with future and fellow NBA player Harry Giles III.

[2] In the summer of 2011, Pinson was named to the USA Basketball U16 team, where he won the gold medal with future Tar Heel teammate Justin Jackson.

[3] Pinson's college career was marked by injury early, as he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot and missed 14 games of his freshman season.

[4] While on the court, Pinson's passing, defense and leadership played a key role in the Tar Heels' run to consecutive National Championship Title Games.

[5][6] During the Tar Heels' 2017 championship run, Pinson's playmaking helped the team defeat Kentucky in the South Regional Final, as his full-court drive and pass set up a game-winning shot by forward Luke Maye.

[9][10] Pinson made his NBA debut on October 20, 2018, in a 132–112 loss to the Indiana Pacers, scoring two points with a rebound and two assists in six and half minutes of play.

[19] On February 4, 2020, Pinson scored 32 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the G League as the Long Island Nets defeated the Wisconsin Herd 117–110.