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As the Boston Celtics are in constant rumors in the offseason, the team prepares to bounce back after a frustrating end to the season, highlighted by Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury. One player who was in rumors of his own was Celtics star Derrick White, who has broken out with the team ever since being dealt from the San Antonio Spurs as he retells the events that led to it.
White started his career in San Antonio from 2017 to 2022, playing under legendary retired head coach Gregg Popovich, and recalled the moment when he told him that he was being dealt in an NSFW manner.
“Pop walks into the room, and he’s like, ‘Uh, we traded you.' And I’m like, ‘Shut up, Pop.' We got Pop up here somewhere— For real, shoutout to Pop. We love that guy. But yeah, Pop calls me: ‘What room are you in?' It’s trade deadline, so I’m like, ‘Oh, where am I going?' White said on his appearance on the podcast “White Noise.”
“I’m like, ‘To where?' And he goes, ‘We wouldn’t f*ck you. We sent you to Boston.' I just played that summer with JT, JB, and Smart. So I knew a bunch of people there,” White continued. He’s like, ‘You’re going to be comfortable. They’ll kind of bring you along.' And I’m like, ‘All right, that’s cool.' I thought I’d fit well there, but also like—What? Why? What did I do?”
Derrick White on his blunt initial feelings on being traded to the Celtics
Knowing how the Celtics feel about White, it's safe to say that Popovich was 100 percent correct in his assumption that he would feel comfortable with his new team. White would go on to be and still is a crucial component in Boston, leading to a championship in 2024.
Still, White would admit being “hurt” initially by the trade since he was committed to San Antonio.
“But getting traded during the season is one of the craziest things I've had to deal with in my NBA career,” White said. “You’re on a team; you’re committed to them; you’re trying to do everything you can to help them win games.
“And then one day they’re like, ‘All right, you’re on the Celtics.' So… I was hurt. Definitely, when they traded me—it was kind of like… I think Jakob Poeltl came to my room after I got traded.”
“And I was like, ‘Why don’t they want me?' That’s kind of what it’s like—Why don’t they believe in me? Why don’t they see their future with me there? I was just like, ‘Why don’t they want me?' I was cool with the rebuild,” White continued. “But obviously, getting traded is crazy.
“My wife was seven months pregnant—that makes things even crazier. And I think getting traded to Boston makes it even crazier— The roads make zero sense. You don’t know where you’re going. Everything’s so confusing.”
At any rate, White and Boston look to improve in the 2025 season.
