Derrick White is playing the best basketball of his career this season and it’s earning him plenty of praise even when he’s away from TD Garden. The Celtics point guard dished out 17 points and 5 assists in Boston’s blowout 134-101 win over the Spurs on Sunday night. The stellar play earned some love from the San Antonio crowd as the broadcast picked up on “White’s an All-Star” chant at multiple points throughout the second half of the win.
“I got a lot of love and respect for the fans here,” White told Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston. “Great memories here so I’m just thankful.”
White spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Spurs before the team traded him to Boston at the trade deadline in February 2022. White has shined in a full-time starting role at point guard this year amid Boston’s 25-6 start, earning some buzz for potential All-Star consideration beyond Sunday’s chants.
“I’m just thankful and grateful,” White told reporters in San Antonio. “I just try to go out there and help us win. If I were to make the All-Star game, it’s because of how much we are winning and the type of team we have. I’m just thankful to be a part of this team and the culture we’re building here. Me making it or not making it doesn’t change the fact that I’m just thankful to be here.”
White’s strong finish to December capped off a sensational month of December in which he averaged 20 points per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. That type of efficiency along with his defensive impact should earn him plenty of All-Star votes as a reserve from coaches if he can maintain those numbers during January.
In the meantime, his former coach Greg Popovich can only marvel at the player White has turned into in his new home.
“Couldn’t be more proud of a player,” Popovich told reporters before the game. “When he first came, I don’t think he believed he belonged in the NBA. To watch him develop through the years, started here with the G-League. Playing with us and then starting for us and then taking more steps in Boston has just been a thrill to watch.
“He’s one of the greatest guys ever. His confidence has just exploded. It’s been a process. He’s been in the league now, six, seven years. I’m not sure anymore. But he’s a great story. And starting out at the bottom and believing in himself and doing the work necessary to get where he is now. Just thrilled for him.”
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