Derrick WHITE

Derrick White has had a far-from-straightforward path to becoming a crucial player for the Boston Celtics. He grew up in Parker, Colorado, and attended Legend High School where he was unable to catch the attention of recruiters and found himself on the B-team during eighth grade. But White remained determined, confident that a late growth spurt - like his father had had - would boost his prospects.

He played for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions in NCAA Division II, finally reaching his full height and being able to showcase his skills. After leading the team to the 2015 NCAA tournament - starting every game in his three years and leading the college for all-time points and assists - White transferred to the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 Conference for his final year. While there, the guard was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and picked for the All-Defensive Team,

In the 2017 NBA Draft, White was selected 29th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. Despite facing injury setbacks, including a fractured wrist in his first season, he proved himself as a valuable bench player and made his NBA playoff debut in 2018. He played under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich at the 2019 FIBA World Cup where the United States could only manage seventh place.