Derrick White has continued impressive Celtics tradition that's lasted over 20 years

We're running out of ways to talk about how good Derrick White is. He just made rare history as a player that the NBA has only seen from all-time players. If it weren't for Victor Wembanyama, he'd be in line to be the first Boston Celtics player to win Defensive Player of the Year since Marcus Smart.

Regardless though, the Celtics have one of the best defensive guards in the league with White on the roster. If any Celtics fan wants to see perhaps the best case White has to win DPOY, watch FanSided's Jack Simone's video breakdown below.

It would take a miracle for White to win only because of the miracle that is Wemby. Regardless, getting lost in the White shuffle is that he is keeping up a tradition that's been around since 2004: Boston always having one of the NBA's elite defensive guards.

White is the latest in a long line of this exact archetype in Boston

So who did this trend start with exactly? The answer is Tony Allen, one of the highest-flying Celtics ever whose calling card was how much of a blanket he was by himself. Seriously, both Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant have both singled out Allen as the toughest defender they went up against.

It's true that Allen's reputation really exploded once he joined Memphis in 2010, but anyone watched his game tape from his days in Boston knows it was a reputation he earned.

The only reason why he didn't have a better reputation with the Celtics was because of his moniker as "Trick-or-Treat Tony." Despite everyone knowing how good he was, Allen didn't get any All-Defense nods as a Celtic. Even worse, he finally figured himself out just as he was on his way out of Boston.

However, even after leaving, the Celtics still had an elite defensive guard on the team: Rajon Rondo.

Celtics fans still remember Rondo quite fondly for extending the Big 3 window beyond what was supposed to be. What many forget is that the former Celtics used to be, as the kids (maybe?) call it to this day, "clamps."

Rondo wasn't the high-flyer Allen was, but his long arms, big hands, and overall IQ made him a nightmare of a defender. It's why he made four consecutive All-Defense teams from 2009 to 2012.

Over time, Rondo saved his elite defense for when it mattered most instead of an everyday basis. However, once Boston traded him, there were two elite defensive guards on the team: Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart.

Bradley was more of a pest than anything else, which is why NBA players hated playing. He stuck to his defenders like glue from the moment they touched the ball. There may not have been a more annoying on-ball defender in Celtics history than Bradley.

Bradley's defense was so well-known by league circles that during one particular year that he was snubbed, multiple NBA players voiced their displeasure about it. Even so, Bradley got himself two All-Defense nods in Boston. It made him even tougher to pair with Smart.

Backing up for a bit, it's bizarre to think that Rondo and Smart were teammates, but they were for a brief moment. Anyway, Rondo's defense wasn't missed because of what Smart could do from the jump.

Smart's calling card was his instincts on defense, but also his versatility and reckless abandon, which is why he endeared himself so well to the fans (and why many were so forgiving of his rather curious shot selection). Look where it got him by Year 9.

He got DPOY on top of three All-Defense selections in Boston. It's why the fanbase was so heartbroken to see him gone. Luckily, White was the ace in the hole. And yet somehow, Boston added another ace in the hole in Smart's replacement, Jrue Holiday.

Unlike all the others mentioned on this list, Holiday's reputation preceded him. He had made five All-Defense teams in the NBA before he became a Celtic in 2023. In fact, he got another nod in his first season with the team.

Holiday will be remembered very fondly for his brief stay in Boston because he basically filled the void left by the Smart trade, and he made so many fantastic defensive plays that got the Celtics Banner 18 two years ago.

it's clear from this history that Boston has built a winning culture for almost two decades now. Just like it's fair to say that part of it has been their fondness for having a guard who can single-handedly opponents uncomfortable on offense. All in their own way to.

The craziest part about the White discourse is that it's debatable as to whether he's the best defensive guard they've had in the past 22 years. That doesn't anything about him but rather a lot to say about their history.