Boston Celtics guard Derrick White revealed he gave up an extravagant 30th birthday trip to Mexico to join Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the United States captured its fifth consecutive gold medal.
White shared the story on the latest episode of the White Noise Podcast with co-host Alex Welsh. He reflected on the timeline that led to his last-minute Olympic inclusion, which unfolded during the Celtics’ 2024 playoff run en route to their 18th NBA championship.
“The night we won the championship was the first time I said something about the Olympics,” White recalled. “We were in the playoffs when I saw a tweet saying if Kawhi couldn’t go, I might be a possibility. My agent didn’t bring it up — we were focused on the playoffs. Then we won. I was in the hallway like, ‘Mike, am I going to the Olympics?’ He’s like, we’ll see.”
“In that moment, I was like, I’m going. But then I didn’t hear anything. They said Kawhi was at training camp in Vegas, so I thought I wasn’t going. I moved on. Then, later, USA called. I had to go. Missed our huge 30th birthday trip to Mexico. They had a life-size cutout of me at the party. I paid for the whole weekend for everyone, even though I wasn’t there. Wasn’t cheap. But I had to go win a gold.”
Olympic gold and breakout season elevate Derrick White’s role for 2025–26 Celtics
White joined a star-studded Team USA roster that included his Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum and former teammate Jrue Holiday. He contributed 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a team-best 1.4 steals in 15.8 minutes per game. Team USA capped their run with a victory over France to claim the gold medal.
Following the Olympics, White built on the momentum with a career-best regular season in 2024–25. In his eighth NBA campaign, he averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44.2% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range across 76 games.
Despite White’s strong play, the Celtics’ hopes for a repeat title fell short. Boston was eliminated by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, with star forward Jayson Tatum suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in the series.
As the Celtics head into the 2025–26 season, White is expected to take on a larger offensive role alongside Jaylen Brown while Jayson Tatum continues to recover from the Achilles tear he suffered during the 2025 playoffs. White’s development over the past year — including a championship run in 2024 and a gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics — has solidified his value to the franchise.
