One would realize just how fast time flies when Derrick White, the 29th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, is now an elder statesman in the NBA. White has become accomplished in the league, being one of the best 3-and-D guards in the entire association, and he's an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medalist as well for Team USA. Suffice to say, he is one of the most well-respected and esteemed players in the league despite how underrated he tends to be.

But White would attest to the fact that not all parts of being an NBA player is good. In fact, the Celtics guard revealed the NBA city he dreads playing in due to how horrid he finds the facilities there to be.

“Memphis, probably, [is my least favorite NBA city]. I mean the hotel is probably the worst in the NBA. The food there is good, though,” White said in his podcast, “White Noise”.

The Celtics guard also shared that he doesn't find the hotel in the city where an Eastern Conference rival resides in to be that enjoyable to stay at.

“Indiana's got a hotel I don't like that much. And we spend a lot of time in Indiana. It's not a good hotel,” White added.

These NBA players are multi-millionaires who are accustomed to living lavish lifestyles, so it's not quite clear what passes for a good hotel experience for White. But this only means one thing: the Celtics guard is imploring those in the hotel business in Memphis and Indianapolis to up their games.

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Derrick White to take on larger role for Celtics next season

Celtics guard Derrick White (9), 41 points, and guard Payton Pritchard (11) ,43 points as they joke around after their win over the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The Celtics underwent a complete makeover during the offseason; they traded away two key pieces of their 2024 championship team in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford will be leaving as well. And then to make matters worse, Jayson Tatum will presumably be spending the entirety of the 2025-26 season on the sidelines as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

Thus, White will have quite the opportunity to break out even further in a larger role. He won't be alone in this regard, however. Payton Pritchard could average 20 points per game with Tatum out, and Anfernee Simons will be tasked to lead the offense as well.

Whether that results in a productive season for the Celtics remains to be seen, however, especially when their frontcourt situation is looking dire.