Theo Pinson played college basketball at the University of North Carolina (2014–2018), where he played as the starting shooting guard for the Tar Heels’ 2017 National Championship team. Following his senior season, Pinson went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft and joined the Brooklyn Nets for the 2018 NBA Summer League. He subsequently signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn, where he spent the first two seasons of his professional career.