Derrick White college career: Former Colorado star's records, stats, notable achievements and more

Derrick White, a former Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball standout, showed immense dedication to the game when he declared that he was willing to sacrifice his teeth for a championship title. The comment came after he chipped his tooth while playing for the Boston Celtics, who emerged victorious in the NBA Finals, against the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday.

"I'd lose all my teeth for a championship," White said during the Larry O'Brien Trophy presentation. "I'll get it fixed. I'm going to enjoy this one."

Despite the dental injury, White continued to play and contributed significantly to his team's win, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. His commitment to the game earned him a spot in the spotlight, with reports that he might replace Kawhi Leonard in the Summer Olympics if Leonard is unable to participate.

There are talks of a potential four-year, $126 million contract extension for White following the season, per ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Former Colorado Buffaloes star Derrick White's records

Derrick White started his college career at the Division II UCCS Mountain Lions from 2012 to 2015 before transferring to Division I Colorado for his final season in 2016-2017.

During his time at UCCS, White became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,912 points and set the single-season scoring record by averaging 25.8 points per game as a junior. He had to sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules after moving to Colorado.

In his senior season at Colorado, White continued to touch the apex of his career, averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

White was the 29th pick, selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2017 NBA draft. In 2020, the Spurs signed White to a reported four-year, $73 million rookie scale extension.

After playing with the Spurs until 2022, he was traded to the Boston Celtics.

Derrick White was overlooked by more than 50 coaches before finding a chance

During his senior year at Legend High School in a Denver suburb in 2011-12, Derrick White, a 6-foot-4, averaged 20.0 ppg. His trainer, Marcus Mason, and his parents sent highlight DVDs of his senior season to college programs, but the response was overwhelmingly negative due to his size. According to Mason, he reached out to 50 to 60 coaches, but none saw White's potential.

"Every guy said: ‘Marcus, you got to be crazy. This guy’s not a college basketball player,’" Mason said [h/t AndScape.com].

Somehow, White only received an offer from NAIA school Johnson & Wales, with no scholarship. However, when Jeff Culver, the coach, moved to Division II University of Colorado Colorado Springs, he offered White a $3,000 scholarship as a preferred walk-on. Despite the $20,000 tuition, White bet on himself and took out a student loan.

Initially, Culver was meant to redshirt his freshman year, but early injuries among several UCCS players led to a plan change.