Derrick White, loved by many and appreciated for his efforts. He has never been considered an All-Star by voters but he sure plays like one, probably not a lot of ankle breakers or posterizing dunks like Kyrie Irving or Ja Morant but he's unapologetically himself on the court, playing his brand of basketball.
Team USA director Grant Hill decided to choose White to replace the absence of Kawhi Leonard for the Olympics. Despite all of the backlash on that decision, it makes sense why this NBA champion is a part of chasing gold. LeBron James believes that he can add his defensive prowess and three-point shooting ability.
“What can Derrick White add? His poise, his ability to guard, his ability to shoot the ball," James said (h/t MassLive). "Bringing another championship DNA guy, it’s great.”
White receives the approval stamp from James which is a great thing to hear — the team chemistry needs to be 100% to unlock the full potential and do real damage against teams throughout the journey. The gap between America and the rest of the world has shrunk in recent years.
White has come a long way from college and entering the NBA, being selected as the No. 29 pick in 2017. Seven years later, he has reached heights that nobody expected.
White's extremely humble, too. He has great character as a cherry on top.
Derrick White's prior experience playing with All-Stars will serve wonders for Team USA
White's ability to adapt and become cohesive with stars like Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and more should be no problem. He has already experience playing with Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, both of which are his teammates yet again.
He's no stranger to elite-level basketball — his career justifies that. It'll be really fun to watch how he's able to contribute regardless of which end of the court it's on.
One thing is for sure — he's a winner. There's no argument there.