'Unranked In High School, 0 D1 Scholarship Offers' - LeBron James' Inspiring Message To His Sons About Derrick White

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White is regarded as a borderline star today, but few would have seen this coming when he was entering the NBA in 2017. White's story is an inspiring one, and LeBron James revealed on the Mind the Game podcast that he shared it with his sons, Bronny and Bryce, in 2024.

“So, I have a group chat with me, Bronny, and Bryce," James said. "And from time to time, I'll send just things that focus them back in. So, I sent this [on] June 18th, 2024. I'll tell you who this guy is after I read this. 'Unranked in high school, zero D1 scholarship offers, played three years of Division II basketball at UCCS, transferred to Colorado, and now is an NBA Champion on one of the best teams in the NBA.'

"That guy is Derrick White," James continued. "Hell of a player. And my message was to them, ‘Everybody’s road to success is different. So stay locked-in and patient.’ That was my message to my boys last year.” 

The timing of this message is somewhat noteworthy as well. The 2024 NBA Draft was held on June 26 and 27, and you'd imagine James sent this message with that in mind.

Bronny was entering that draft, and unlike his father, he wasn't going to be a top pick. The Cleveland Cavaliers had selected James with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, and his eldest son wouldn't even go in the first round 21 years later.

The Los Angeles Lakers would only select Bronny with the 55th pick in 2024. The youngster's basketball journey had already been a difficult one leading up to the draft, as he had suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023.

James didn't want Bronny to be discouraged by his journey not being picture perfect, the way his father's was. White was a fairly good example to use for that purpose. 

White went to Legend High School in Parker, Colorado, and received no Division I scholarship offers. All he had were offers from a junior college in northern Wyoming and a housing stipend from a Division II school. He took the latter, heading to the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs (UCCS) in 2012.

White shone at UCCS and was named a Division II All-American twice (2014 and 2015). He transferred to the University of Colorado in 2015 and made First-team All-Pac-12 in 2017.

Despite White's success, he still wasn't a highly thought-of prospect when he entered the NBA Draft. The San Antonio Spurs would only select him with the 29th pick in 2017, and he wasn't supposed to amount to much.

White didn't play a lot in his rookie season but would become an integral part of the Spurs' rotation over time. The Celtics took notice of his growth and acquired him in 2022. It's turned out to be one of the best trades made by a team in recent NBA history.

White made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2023 and 2024. He played a big role in the Celtics winning the NBA championship in 2024 and has become a fan favorite in Boston.

Will Bronny have a trajectory like this? Well, it doesn't appear too likely at this point after he averaged 2.3 points per game for the Lakers in 2024-25, but you would have said the same about White. As for Bryce, he'll be suiting up for the University of Arizona in 2025-26, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in college.