Gregg Popovich was truly impactful for Derrick White…

Many NBA players have dreams of making it to the league long before they’re ever there. However, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White was not one of those guys, as he didn’t know how far basketball would take him.

White didn’t have the traditional journey to the Association. He played at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs for three years, which is a Division II school less than an hour away from White’s hometown of Parker, Colorado.

He later transferred to the University of Colorado and showed off his skills at the Division I level. As a result, White was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

While White wasn’t always a standout prospect, he has become a household name in Boston. On New Year’s Eve, he dropped 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds in just 26 minutes during a 134-101 win over his former team.

The potential NBA All-Star has come a long way, and he credits Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for a lot of his growth, per CLNS Media.

“He kept pushing me,” White said. “He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself…I used to be in the mail room and he’d just walk in and say, ‘You belong’ and walk out. Just little things like that are cool to hear from the greatest coach of all time.”

On the Spurs, White was solid, yet he’s reached another level for the C’s lately. The 29-year-old is averaging 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per outing through 29 games. Plus, he’s shooting a career-high 49.1 percent from the field and transformed into a dangerous 3-point shooter with a conversion rate of 41.6 percent from deep.

DERRICK WHITE WITH AUTHORITY 😱pic.twitter.com/4vqpEIaMO5

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 1, 2024

Making his first All-Star team will still be tough, but regardless, Derrick White has excelled as a starter on a talented team with championship aspirations.