Draft Night A Celebration For White

Not too far removed from hearing his name called out on national television, and the subsequent celebration of his inner-circle of family and friends, Colorado's newest NBA Draft pick wasn't about to venture far from his laid-back self.

"It's a crazy feeling," said Derrick White succinctly, and with a hint of satisfaction.

White, who five years ago had zero Division I scholarship offers, rose from Division II All-American, to an All-Pac-12 performer at Colorado, and saw his hard work pay off Thursday night as he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 29^th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

When the announcement came, the watch party at a friend's house in his native Parker, Colo., erupted. Surrounded by jubilation, White took a moment to sit back and take it all in, eventually a large grin made its way across his face.

"I didn't know how to react, I was shocked." White said. "I'm thankful to be a part of the Spurs organization."

White had met with the Spurs initially at the Portsmouth Invitational in April and then worked out for them after the NBA Combine. On draft night, he had a chance to speak again with general manager R.C. Buford and head coach Greg Popovich, who expressed "they're excited to have me on board; excited to get to work with me."

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle was able to get away from his duties with the USA Basketball U19 World Cup team to celebrate with White. This was also a first for the Buffs' coach, being with one of his players for that special moment.

"It was really neat to experience that with his family and friends. Everyone important to him along the way was there," Boyle said. "It's a very proud moment; you're proud for the young man and his family, the process and the hard work it's taken to get there."

The Spurs are getting one of the Pac-12's best all-around performers, a strong statement for a league that saw a conference-record 14 players picked in the two-round draft.

White averaged 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds for the Buffaloes in his lone season at Colorado. He's just one of three Division I players to average 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block the last 20 years, joining Dwyane Wade and 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.

"I know what the Spurs, R.C. Buford and Greg Popovich stand for and the culture fits Derrick to a tee," Boyle said. "The one thing about San Antonio, look at their draft history the last 10 to 12 years, they do their homework and they draft very, very well. He's going to be a sneaky good pick. He embodies everything the San Antonio organization stands for.

White will head to San Antonio, probably in the next week, to start the Summer League process as the celebrating subsides and the next steps of becoming a professional basketball player will take flight.

"It's been a fun ride," White said. "I enjoyed going to CU and am thankful for all that I've been able to do here."

Players Mentioned

Derrick White

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