COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Before Derrick White was an Olympic gold medalist, an NBA champion, a Colorado Buffaloes star he was a little-known guard lighting up scoreboards at UCCS.

White returned to Colorado Springs this week to be inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, adding another accolade to a remarkable basketball journey that began far from the national spotlight.

White reflected on how different he looked, and how different life was, during his time with the Mountain Lions.

“I looked up at all the photos up there and I just kind of laughed. It seems so long ago. I couldn’t grow facial hair, I had an afro. I was kind of going as big as possible,” he laughed.

White’s path to NBA stardom is anything but conventional. Coming out of high school, he received no Division I scholarship offers. Instead, he landed at UCCS, where he developed into one of the top players in Division II basketball and earned All-American honors.

Looking back, White credits the program and the people around him for helping shape the player he would become.

“Who knows what my career would’ve been if I went somewhere else or whatever so I’m always thankful for the coaching staff for doing that and I’ve had amazing teammates and people that I’m so close with.”

That growth eventually led him to the University of Colorado, then to the NBA, where he has become one of the league’s premier two-way guards. Along the way, White helped the Boston Celtics win an NBA championship and earned a gold medal with Team USA.

But despite the success, Colorado Springs remains a special place in his story.

“Definitely a lot of special memories here in the Springs. It’s a really special honor to be recognized by a great conference like the RMAC.”

Now entering another busy offseason before returning to Boston, White made sure to carve out time to celebrate the honor with family, friends and the community that helped launch his career.

“I feel like every summer is busy, but it’s all good things, all exciting things. The chance I can come back to Colorado where I’m from and see my family, see my friends, it always seems like it flies by.”

As White prepares for another season with the Celtics, he returns to Boston as a key piece of a championship contender. But he also leaves Colorado Springs with a new title: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Famer.