.jpg) White at theWhite House in 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 9 – Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard /point guard | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1994-07-02)July 2, 1994 (age 31) Parker, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Legend (Parker, Colorado) | ||||||||||||||
| College | |||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2017: 1st round, 29th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2017–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | →Austin Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–present | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||
Derrick Richard White (born July 2, 1994)[1] is an American professionalbasketball player for theBoston Celtics of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Buffalo"[2] or “The Swiss Army Knife” by his Celtics teammateNeemias Queta, he played three years ofcollege basketball inDivision II for theColorado–Colorado Springs Mountain Lions before transferring toDivision I'sColorado Buffaloes for his final year.[3]
White was selected 29th overall by theSan Antonio Spurs in the2017 NBA draft. He was traded to the Celtics in February 2022, becoming a key contributor when they reached the2022 NBA Finals.[4] White became a starter in the2022–23 season and was selected to his firstNBA All-Defensive Team that season and his second the following season. White won his first NBA championship when the Celtics defeated theDallas Mavericks in five games during the2024 NBA Finals. White also won a gold medal as a member of the2024 U.S. Olympic team.[5]
White attendedLegend High School, a brand-new high school inParker, Colorado, and was a part of its first graduating class.[6] As a freshman on the basketball team, he played with 11 other freshmen en route to a victory in league play.[7] As a senior, White averaged 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.[8]
White scored over 1,000 points in his career.[6] At the time of his graduation in 2012, White was a six-foot combo guard. In February 2023, he was honored as the first-ever Legend Hall of Fame inductee.[6][9]
White was lightly recruited out of high school, receiving no scholarship offers from any four-year institutions.[10] At the time of his high school graduation, which fell about two months before his 18th birthday, White was barely six feet (1.83 m) tall—after growing 2 inches (5.1 cm) as a senior.[11] The only head coach at a four-year school who showed sustained interest in White was Jeff Culver, then the head coach at the Denver campus ofJohnson & Wales University, a non-scholarshipNAIA member better known for its culinary program. By the time White was preparing to make his college decision, Culver was hired as head coach atNCAA Division II'sColorado–Colorado Springs and offered White a room-and-board stipend for his freshman season.[12]
Culver only expected White to become a starter late in his college career. He was aware that White's father had a late growth spurt in college, and also knew that doctors had projected White to potentially reach 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m).[12] As it turned out, White nearly reached that potential height by the time he enrolled at Colorado–Colorado Springs, falling just 1 inch (2.5 cm) short.[11] With his newfound size and athleticism, White became a star at UCCS, starting every game of his three-year career and left as the school's career leader in points (1,912) and assists (343). As a junior, White averaged 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Mountain Lions, leading the team to the2015 NCAA tournament.[13] He was named anAll-American.[14]
Following his junior season, White opted to transfer to Division IColorado to play forTad Boyle and test his skills in thePac-12 Conference, one of the top conferences in the country.[15] After sitting out the 2015–16 season perNCAA rules, White excelled in his lone season with the Buffaloes, averaging 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. White was named first-teamAll-Pac-12 and a member of the five-man All-Defensive team.[16]
White was one of 60 NBA prospects invited to the 2017NBA draft combine.[17] He was one of only 15 combine invitees who had not beenRivals top-150 prospects in high school, and one of only three who did not sign with Division I programs out of high school. In addition, according toYahoo! Sports writer Jeff Eisenberg, White was also "the only one who will use part of his first NBA contract to pay off student loans he accumulated paying for tuition at UCCS as a freshman."[12]
TheSan Antonio Spurs drafted White with the 29th pick of the2017 NBA draft.[18] He was later included in the Spurs'2017 NBA Summer League roster.[19] On July 6, 2017, White signed with the Spurs.[20]
On October 18, 2017, White made his NBA debut, coming off the bench in a 107–99 victory over theMinnesota Timberwolves, yet he recorded no statistics.[21] On October 31, White andDāvis Bertāns were sent to theAustin Spurs of theNBA G League.[22] White suffered a fractured wrist during a G League game against theTexas Legends.[23] He was later recalled to San Antonio.[24] On March 12, 2018, White scored a career-high 14 points along with four rebounds, an assist, and a block in a 109–93 loss to theHouston Rockets.[25]
On April 14, 2018, White made hisNBA playoffs debut, coming off the bench with seven points, an assist, a steal, and a block in a 113–92 loss to theGolden State Warriors in Game 1 of the series.[26]
On October 12, 2018, White was revealed to have a left plantar fascia tear.[27] On November 7, he made his season debut, recording a rebound and three assists in a 95–88 loss to theMiami Heat.[28] On December 31, White scored a career-high 22 points with three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal in a 120–111 victory over theBoston Celtics.[29] On January 10, 2019, he scored another career-high 23 points with eight assists, five rebounds, two steals, and a block in a 154–147 double-overtime victory over theOklahoma City Thunder.[30] On January 31 against theBrooklyn Nets, White recorded a then-career-high 26 points as the Spurs won 117–114.[31] On April 18 against theDenver Nuggets, he recorded a then-playoff career-high of 36 points to give San Antonio a 2–1 lead in the first round of the 2019 playoffs.[32]
On December 21, 2020, the Spurs announced that they had signed White to a reported four-year, $73 million rookie-scale extension.[33][34] On April 1, 2021, against theAtlanta Hawks, he hit a career-high seven three-pointers and finished the 134–129 double-overtime loss with 29 points, three assists, two blocks, and a rebound.[35]
On February 10, 2022, White was traded to theBoston Celtics in exchange forJosh Richardson,Romeo Langford, a 2022 first-round pick (which turned intoBlake Wesley), and the rights to swap 2028 first-round picks.[36] He made his Celtics debut the following day against theDenver Nuggets and finished the 108–102 victory with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal.[37]
During Game 6 of theEastern Conference Finals against theMiami Heat on May 27, White scored 22 points on 7-for-14 shooting, alongside five assists, three steals, and a block in a 111–103 loss.[38] The Celtics would go on to eliminate the Heat in seven games, earning White his first NBA Finals appearance in his career.[39] In Game 1 of theNBA Finals on June 2, White had 21 points, three assists, and a rebound during a 120–108 comeback victory over theGolden State Warriors.[40] The Celtics went on to lose the series in six games despite a 2–1 lead.[41]
White began the season as a starter for the Celtics. On February 10, 2023, against theCharlotte Hornets, he scored a career-high 33 points in a 127–116 victory.[42] Three days later, White was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 24.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as a starter in place of the injuredMarcus Smart.[43]
White started in 70 games and appeared in all 82 regular season games, both career highs. He also shot 38.1 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free throw line, while registering 76 blocked shots (all career highs).[44] In May, White was named to theNBA All-Defensive second team for the first time in his career.[45]
In Game 6 of theEastern Conference Finals on May 27, White had 11 points, six assists, four rebounds, three blocks, and a steal while making abuzzer-beating put-back shot as time expired to narrowly defeat theMiami Heat 104–103 to force a Game 7 in Boston, saving the Celtics from elimination.[46][47][48] He became the second player in NBA history to hit a buzzer-beating game-winner with his team trailing and facing elimination, joiningMichael Jordan's "The Shot" in1989.[49] Two days later, the Celtics went on to lose Game 7 103–84, where White had 18 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.[50]
White remained a starter afterMarcus Smart was traded to theMemphis Grizzlies in the offseason. White's production increased as he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.[51] White appeared in 73 games (all starts) and shot 46.1 percent from the field, including a career-high 39.6 percent from three.[52] On March 18, 2024, White recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 119–94 victory over theDetroit Pistons.[53]
During Game 4 of thefirst round of the playoffs against theMiami Heat on April 29, 2024, White had a playoff career-high 38 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in a 102–88 road victory.[54] During Game 4 of theEastern Conference Finals against theIndiana Pacers on May 27, he scored 22 points on 7-for-14 shooting, alongside five steals, four rebounds, four assists, and three blocks while making the game-winning three-pointer as the Celtics completed a 105–102 comeback victory and advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.[55] White helped the Celtics win theNBA Finals, where they defeated theDallas Mavericks in five games.[56]
.jpg)
On July 1, 2024, a day before his 30th birthday, White signed a four-year, $125.9 million extension with the Celtics.[57]
On March 5, 2025, White scored a career-high 41 points in addition to recording three steals, three rebounds, two assists, and a block in a 128–118 victory over thePortland Trail Blazers as he andPayton Pritchard became the first Celtics teammates to make nine or more three-pointers in the same game (Pritchard had 10) and the first to score 40 or more points in the same game (Pritchard had 43).[58] They are also the first NBA teammates to score 19 three-pointers in a single game, and the first to have at least 40 points and seven three-pointers each.[59] On March 31 against theMemphis Grizzlies, White had 14 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists in the 117–103 victory while setting the Celtics franchise record with the most three-pointers in a season, with 246.[60] He finished the season playing and starting in 76 games, marking the first time White started in every game he played during his career as he averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.[61]
During Game 1 of thefirst round of the playoffs against theOrlando Magic, White led the Celtics in scoring with 30 points while also recording four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.[62] In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 14, he had 34 points, three blocks, three rebounds, and two assists as the Celtics defeated theNew York Knicks 127–102 to force a Game 6 in New York, saving the Celtics from elimination.[63] The Celtics went on to lose the series in six games.[64]
On December 30, 2025, White had 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and a career-high seven blocks in a 129–119 victory over theUtah Jazz.[65] His seven blocks tiedGeorge Gervin,Dennis Johnson,Doug Christie, andTracy McGrady for the most recorded in a game by a guard in NBA history.[66][67]
On August 24, 2019, White was included in theUS national team's final roster for the2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[68]
On July 10, 2024, White was chosen as a member of the2024 United States men's Olympic basketball team as part of the2024 Summer Olympics inParis. Team USA was in need of a replacement player forKawhi Leonard, who withdrew from the roster that same day.[69][70] Throughout the tournament, White averaged 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1 block per game.[71] He helped the team win the gold medal.[72]
White married Hannah Schneider in August 2021.[73] Their first son, Hendrix James, who is named forJimi Hendrix, was born on May 19, 2022.[74] Their second son, Daxton, was born on November 4, 2023.[75]
In September 2024, White was attending aColorado vs.Colorado State football game inFort Collins when a fan struck him in the back of the head.[76]
White has endorsement deals with the Boston-based beverage companiesSamuel Adams and Culture Pop, and has appeared in commercials and on billboards advertising these brands.[77]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | San Antonio | 17 | 0 | 8.2 | .485 | .615 | .700 | 1.5 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 3.2 |
| 2018–19 | San Antonio | 67 | 55 | 25.8 | .479 | .338 | .772 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .7 | 9.9 |
| 2019–20 | San Antonio | 68 | 20 | 24.7 | .458 | .366 | .853 | 3.3 | 3.5 | .6 | .9 | 11.3 |
| 2020–21 | San Antonio | 36 | 32 | 29.5 | .411 | .346 | .851 | 3.0 | 3.5 | .7 | 1.0 | 15.4 |
| 2021–22 | San Antonio | 49 | 48 | 30.3 | .426 | .314 | .869 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 1.0 | .9 | 14.4 |
| Boston | 26 | 4 | 27.4 | .409 | .306 | .853 | 3.4 | 3.5 | .6 | .6 | 11.0 | |
| 2022–23 | Boston | 82 | 70 | 28.3 | .462 | .381 | .875 | 3.6 | 3.9 | .7 | .9 | 12.4 |
| 2023–24† | Boston | 73 | 73 | 32.6 | .461 | .396 | .901 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 15.2 |
| 2024–25 | Boston | 76 | 76 | 33.9 | .442 | .384 | .839 | 4.5 | 4.8 | .9 | 1.1 | 16.4 |
| Career | 494 | 378 | 28.5 | .448 | .369 | .852 | 3.7 | 4.2 | .8 | .9 | 13.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | San Antonio | 3 | 0 | 6.1 | .500 | .500 | — | .0 | .3 | .3 | .7 | 2.3 |
| 2019 | San Antonio | 7 | 7 | 27.2 | .547 | .294 | .731 | 3.0 | 3.0 | .7 | .7 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | Boston | 23 | 3 | 25.4 | .364 | .313 | .824 | 3.0 | 2.7 | .9 | .6 | 8.5 |
| 2023 | Boston | 20 | 16 | 29.7 | .505 | .455 | .912 | 3.0 | 2.1 | .6 | 1.0 | 13.4 |
| 2024† | Boston | 19 | 19 | 35.6 | .452 | .404 | .921 | 4.3 | 4.1 | .9 | 1.2 | 16.7 |
| 2025 | Boston | 11 | 11 | 37.7 | .463 | .385 | .861 | 5.1 | 3.5 | .6 | 1.1 | 18.8 |
| Career | 83 | 56 | 29.9 | .456 | .392 | .854 | 3.5 | 2.9 | .8 | .9 | 13.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | UCCS | 24 | 24 | 29.6 | .426 | .342 | .808 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 16.8 |
| 2013–14 | UCCS | 28 | 28 | 30.6 | .480 | .286 | .826 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 22.2 |
| 2014–15 | UCCS | 33 | 33 | 32.2 | .529 | .336 | .838 | 7.4 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 25.8 |
| 2016–17 | Colorado | 34 | 32 | 32.8 | .507 | .396 | .813 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 18.1 |
| Career | 119 | 117 | 31.5 | .494 | .350 | .824 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 20.9 | |
