There aren't many firsts left to accomplish in the Boston Celtics' history. Yet Friday night at TD Garden, Derrick White did something no player to suit up for the NBA's original monarchy has ever accomplished.
White put a game-high 33 points on the board in Boston's 129-116 win over the Miami Heat. He dished out six assists, grabbed five rebounds, and his four blocks helped minimize Miami's production around the rim.
D-WHITE HOT pic.twitter.com/TtKJIrJcjq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 20, 2025
The ninth-year guard also knocked down 11/20 [55 percent] of his shots. That includes converting on nine of his 14 attempts from behind the arc [64.3 percent].
No player in Celtics history has registered at least 30 points, four assists, four rebounds, and four blocks while knocking down nine threes. Even if you remove the three-point part of his impact in Friday's victory, his stat line is one that only Bird, McHale, Parish, and Jeff Green had compiled for Boston, per StatMuse.
Derrick White discusses his record-setting night
The former Colorado Buffalo began his evening by gliding into a left-to-right crossover dribble, utilizing a Neemias Queta screen and Jamie Jaquez Jr.'s mistake of going under the pick. White set himself and swished his first shot of the game. From there, he was off to the races.
"I felt good from the beginning," said White after the win. "I think I made the first shot, and then just try to keep it rolling from there."
He did just that. The moment exemplifying his transformation into a human flamethrower came in the final frame. The six-foot-four guard had a seven-foot center, Kel'el Ware, matched up on him. Anfernee Simons came streaking across to set a ghost screen, getting Ware to open his hips.
White took a hard dribble downhill before launching into a step-back three. After his shot banked in, he snapped his head towards the Celtics' bench, with an expression across his face that perfectly captured the supernova state he was in.
9️⃣ threes for 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/S8j5BzIB3D
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 20, 2025
"I made a few in a row, and so everybody was like, 'There was no chance you were driving on that one,'" said White post-game. "Just try to get some space, and the bank was open."
While his hot shooting will understandably get the lion's share of the attention, what didn't get lost on Erik Spoelstra was White's overall impact.
"I think he is the most underrated player in the league. The guy is an absolute winner. Whatever role you put him in. Tonight, obviously, it showed that he could be a scorer in all the different facets," said Spoelstra. "Defensively, he just does so many things," voiced the Heat's head coach. "He's the best shot-blocking guard in the league."
Nights like Friday will help White's case to defy the odds and make his first All-Star Game. He's that caliber of player and belongs on that stage.
Even with the format change, with three teams, two comprised of U.S. players and one of international talent, the selection process remains the same. The three eight-team rosters will come from a pool of 24 players, evenly split between each conference.
Can White earn one of those 12 spots over his competition in the East? That seems unlikely. However, even if that doesn't happen, if an injury replacement is needed, he might be the top option. Spoelstra's sentiment, calling him "the most underrated player in the league," reflects how coaches, who would choose an injury replacement if it's required, feel about the selfless Celtic.