Derrick White has taken strides forward each year since joining the Boston Celtics at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. He’s blossomed into an All-NBA defender and is set for his biggest offensive opportunity yet, with Boston’s watered-down roster.
White and Jaylen Brown need to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense if the Cs are going to be anywhere near the level they’ve been for the past several seasons, especially with Jayson Tatum sidelined with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Needless to say that the 2025-26 season is a big chance for White to earn even more respect around the league if he takes yet another leap.
Speaking of, White will not only be looking to cement himself as a star, leaguewide, but also earn the respect of Tatum, who is waiting to see the Celtics guard add yet another aspect to his game -- technical fouls.
“There are guys on the team that have been giving me giving me hell about not having a technical foul,” White joked on a recent episode of his “White Noise” podcast. “Jayson Tatum told me he doesn't respect me until I get a technical. We'll see. We'll see. Not against him, but I'm not going to go out of my way to get one. I'm going to get ejected.”
White getting a technical, never mind ejected, would be pretty shocking. He might be the softest spoken guy on Boston’s roster. Though if he had the same whistle as Tatum, he could very well have a few techs by now.
In the past, Tatum has been teched up for the most minuscule actions. Things like clapping or waving off the officials have cost him quite a bit in league fines.
Jayson Tatum wouldn't be the only person excited to see Derrick White get a technical
White and his co-host, Alex Welsh, joked that Celtics wing Jordan Walsh had set the precedent by getting himself ejected at the NBA Summer League last month.
“Yes. I watched Jay Walsh in the summer league. I got inspired, and yeah, I think Jay Walsh was the only person to get ejected in summer league this year and so it's always great to be the only person to do something. So, congrats on that, Jay.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla texted Walsh after he was tossed, according ot the 21-year-old, and told him he loved to see that sort of fire from him.
"He told me he loved it," Walsh revealed. "As soon as I got ejected and I got to the locker room, I checked my phone, and he was texting me, he was like, 'I love this out of you.' So, take that for what it is, but Joe was hyped."
If Mazzulla’s reaction to White getting a technical would be similar to it was for Walsh’s ejection, then Tatum likely isn’t alone in rooting for his teammate to show some added emotion.