BOSTON – Derrick White’s NBA journey has been a remarkable story of perennial progress, and no one could be more proud of the Celtics guard than the man who helped bring him into the league.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, with whom White spent his first four-plus NBA seasons, gushed over White’s transformation into an All-Star-caliber player ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup with the Celtics at TD Garden.
“I'm thrilled for him. I love the kid,” Popovich said. “I keep in touch with him and he's one of the great examples of working through it. Played in the G League for a couple of years, (he) didn't even think he belonged in the [NBA]. Started out at a small school in Colorado Springs and ended up his final year at [the University of] Colorado.
"But he's worked his fanny off. He got all those minutes there and gained confidence with each year developing and it's never stopped. He's gotten better every single year. Whether it's shooting or understanding pick-and-roll. He always could pass really well. He had a good affinity for passing. He had a good sense of space defensively on how to get some things done. But it was mostly a matter of confidence and it took time, but he got there. And then when he got here playing with the guys he's playing with, he took another step.
"I couldn't be more thrilled for him. Wonderful young man.”
White is averaging career-highs in all five major statistical categories this season: 15.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 47.0 percent from the field, along with career-highs of 41.2 percent from long range and 90.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Unfortunately, White won’t be able to suit up against his former team, as he is sidelined with a minor ankle sprain.
Popovich joked about the one-game absence, claiming with a smile, “He’s afraid of us, not playing tonight. I had stuff planned for him where we would just destroy him, so he sat out.”
Jokes aside, White has made one serious leap since his entrance into the league. And Popovich has remained his No. 1 fan from Day 1.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of a player.”