How Celtics’ Derrick White Feels About Possibly Joining Team USA
Fresh off an NBA Finals victory and a celebratory duckboat parade, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White could chase another title, this time with Team USA in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
The uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s postseason knee injury leaves the door open for a potential roster spot with Team USA, which according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, leaves White as the next man in line. During a charity event at Boston’s Gillette headquarters on Monday, the 29-year-old addressed the possible upcoming nod to join Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday on a stacked roster.
“Any chance you can play for your country and just try to win a gold medal, I think that would definitely be something that, if Kawhi or whatever goes on and they ask me, I’ll definitely be looking forward to,” White said, per Zack Cox of the Boston Herald.
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White spent this past season emerging as a legitimate starting point guard, adopting the role in Boston once the front office parted ways with ex-guards Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon. White’s combination of defensive urgency and offensive efficiency propelled the underappreciated veteran to new heights, averaging a career-best 15.2 points and 1.2 blocks, which earned him a second straight NBA All-Defensive Second-Team nod.
It became apparent that White’s selfless mindset, which followed him from his five-year run with the San Antonio Spurs, translates to winning. Whether it was draining a critical go-ahead 3-pointer to sweep the Eastern Conference finals or recording an all-time block at the rim in Game 2 of the Finals, White rose to the occasion time after time.
For now, White will patiently await the call from Team USA before its camp opens on July 6 in Las Vegas.