NBA champion with the Celtics last night, Derrick White left TD Garden with one less tooth but one more ring. And he wouldn’t trade both for anything.
“Oooooh, you’re so ugly my guy.”
While the Celtics were quietly heading towards their 18th NBA title, Jaylen Brown couldn’t help but winnow at Derrick White, who had just lost part of his tooth after eating the legendary floor of TD Garden. We’ll give you the sequence, be careful it hurts.
Oh the violence… pic.twitter.com/Jnc9bXJ1AL
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) June 18, 2024
We know many who would not have returned to the match, including the author of this article. Derrick White returned to the bench, wiped the blood off his mouth with a napkin, and asked to return to the field. Because that’s how he is: a fighter, a tough guy. He finished the game with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block in 38 minutes, with 4 winning shots on the clock.
“I was ready to lose all my teeth for this NBA title” – Derrick White during the trophy presentation ceremony
Nothing could stop Derrick White and the Celtics from hoisting the trophy last night. Not after everything they’ve been through, not after the historic season they had.
A historic season during which this good Derrick simply played the best basketball of his career (15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1 block average, 46% shooting, 39 .6% from distance, 90% on free throws), coming close to being selected for the All-Star Game and named for the second time in a row to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
“I’d lose all my teeth for a championship.”
Whatever it takes for Derrick White ???? pic.twitter.com/cbtdpRVOCM
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024
The one who arrived in Boston in February 2022 against… Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a first-round draft pick (and pick swaps) became one of the big players in the Celtics’ rise to the top of the NBA .
We tend to forget him but when he arrived, Boston was only 7th in the East with a barely positive record. His contribution was valuable from the outset, in particular to streamline the Celtics’ attack and provide spacing to a group that needed it alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. His sense of teamwork, his qualities as a connector and his contribution to defense helped Boston reach one and then several milestones. In NBA history, some of the best transfers don’t necessarily involve a star. Here is the perfect example.
In the Celtics jersey, Derrick White experienced the 2022 NBA Finals, he almost became the new local hero with his buzzer beater in the 2023 Conference Finals in Miami, and finally won the supreme title in 2024. He went from being a substitute to indisputable starter, from rookie to darling of the TD Garden, from simple role player to NBA champion.
It was well worth losing a tooth.
2024-06-18 14:54:00
#ready #lose #teeth #title
