Derrick White facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Derrick White

White at the White House in 2024
No. 9 – Boston Celtics
Shooting guard / point guard
Personal information
Born	(1994-07-02) July 2, 1994 (age 31) Parker, Colorado, U.S.
High school	Legend (Parker, Colorado)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	UCCS (2012–2015) Colorado (2016–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career	2017–present
League	NBA
Career history
2017–2022	San Antonio Spurs
2017–2018	→Austin Spurs
2022–present	Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2024) 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2023, 2024) NBA G League champion (2018) First-team All-Pac-12 (2017) 2× NCAA Division II All-American (2014, 2015) 2× First-team All-RMAC (2014, 2015) RMAC tournament MVP (2015) RMAC Freshman of the Year (2013)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Team

Derrick White (born July 2, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People sometimes call him "the Buffalo."

Derrick White played college basketball for three years at Colorado–Colorado Springs. This was in NCAA Division II, a lower level of college sports. Then, he moved to NCAA Division I and played one year for the Colorado Buffaloes.

The San Antonio Spurs picked him in the 2017 NBA draft. In February 2022, he joined the Celtics. He helped them reach the 2022 NBA Finals. White became a regular starter in the 2022–23 season. He was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. In 2024, he won his first NBA championship with the Celtics. They beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games. White also won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.

Derrick White's High School Basketball Journey

Derrick White went to Legend High School in Parker, Colorado. He was part of the very first class to graduate from this new school. As a freshman, he played on a basketball team with 11 other freshmen. They won only one game in their league that year.

By his senior year, White was a top player. He scored about 17 points per game. He also grabbed almost 4 rebounds and made 3 assists per game. He scored over 1,000 points during his high school career. When he graduated in 2012, he was a six-foot tall guard. In 2023, Legend High School honored him as the first person in their Hall of Fame.

Derrick White's College Basketball Experience

Derrick White was not a highly sought-after player when he finished high school. No big four-year colleges offered him a scholarship. He was just barely 6 feet tall when he graduated. He had grown two inches during his senior year.

A coach named Jeff Culver showed a lot of interest in White. Culver became the head coach at NCAA Division II's Colorado–Colorado Springs. He offered White a special payment for his room and board. White's father had grown taller in college, and doctors thought Derrick might grow to 6 feet 5 inches. He almost reached that height by the time he started at Colorado–Colorado Springs.

With his new height and athletic skills, White became a star at UCCS. He started every game for three years. He left as the school's all-time leader in points (1,912) and assists (343). In his junior year, he averaged 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He led his team to the 2015 NCAA tournament. He was named an All-American.

After his junior year, White decided to move to NCAA Division I. He transferred to Colorado to play in the Pac-12 Conference. This is one of the best college basketball conferences. He had to sit out the 2015–16 season because of NCAA rules. In his one season with the Buffaloes, he did very well. He averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. White was named to the first-team All-Pac-12 and the All-Defensive team.

Derrick White's Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the San Antonio Spurs (2017–2022)

White playing for the Spurs in 2019

Derrick White was one of 60 players invited to the 2017 NBA draft combine. He was one of only a few players who didn't play for a top college team. The San Antonio Spurs chose White as the 29th pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He signed with the Spurs on July 6, 2017.

White played his first NBA game on October 18, 2017. He came off the bench in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also spent some time playing for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League. In March 2018, White scored a career-high 14 points against the Houston Rockets. He made his NBA playoffs debut in April 2018.

In October 2018, White had a foot injury. He returned to play in November. On December 31, he scored a new career-high of 22 points against the Boston Celtics. In January 2019, he scored 23 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Later that month, he scored 26 points against the Brooklyn Nets. In the 2019 playoffs, he scored a playoff career-high of 36 points against the Denver Nuggets.

In December 2020, the Spurs signed White to a four-year contract extension. In April 2021, he made a career-high seven three-pointers against the Atlanta Hawks. He finished that game with 29 points.

Joining the Boston Celtics (2022–Present)

First NBA Finals with the Celtics (2021–22 Season)

On February 10, 2022, White was traded to the Boston Celtics. He made his Celtics debut the next day. He scored 15 points in a win against the Denver Nuggets.

In May 2022, during the Eastern Conference Finals, White scored 22 points in a game against the Miami Heat. The Celtics won that series in seven games. This meant White reached his first NBA Finals. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, White scored 21 points. The Celtics won that game against the Golden State Warriors. However, the Celtics lost the series in six games.

Becoming a Starter (2022–23 Season)

White playing in 2023

White started the season as a regular starter for the Celtics. On February 10, 2023, he scored a career-high 33 points against the Charlotte Hornets. A few days later, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. This was because he played very well while another player was injured.

White played in all 82 regular season games, starting 70 of them. Both were career highs for him. He also shot very well from three-point range and the free-throw line. In May, White was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive second team. This was his first time getting this honor.

In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in May 2023, White made a game-winning shot. He tipped the ball into the basket as time ran out. This helped the Celtics beat the Miami Heat by one point. It forced a Game 7 in the series. He became only the second player in NBA history to make a game-winning shot when his team was behind and facing elimination. The Celtics lost Game 7 two days later.

Winning the NBA Championship (2023–24 Season)

White continued to be a starter for the Celtics. His performance improved, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. He played in 73 games, starting all of them. He shot a career-high 39.6 percent from three-point range. On March 18, 2024, White achieved his first career triple-double. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Detroit Pistons.

In the first round of the playoffs, White scored a playoff career-high 38 points against the Miami Heat. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he made the game-winning three-pointer against the Indiana Pacers. This helped the Celtics win and reach the NBA Finals again. White helped the Celtics win the NBA Finals by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

New Contract and Records (2024–25 Season)

White in 2024

On July 1, 2024, White signed a new four-year contract extension with the Celtics.

On March 5, 2025, White scored a career-high 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He and his teammate Payton Pritchard both made many three-pointers in that game. They became the first Celtics teammates to make nine or more three-pointers in the same game. They were also the first to score 40 or more points in the same game. On March 31, White set a Celtics team record. He made the most three-pointers in a single season, with 246. He finished the season playing and starting in 76 games. This was the first time he started every game he played in his career.

In the first round of the playoffs, White led the Celtics with 30 points against the Orlando Magic. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored 34 points against the New York Knicks. This helped the Celtics win and avoid being eliminated. However, the Celtics lost the series in six games.

Playing for the National Team

On August 24, 2019, White was chosen to play for the U.S. national team in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

On July 10, 2024, White was picked to join the 2024 United States men's Olympic basketball team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He helped the team win the gold medal.

Derrick White's Personal Life

Derrick White married Hannah Schneider in August 2021. Their first son, Hendrix James, was born in May 2022. He is named after the musician Jimi Hendrix. Their second son, Daxton, was born in November 2023.

In September 2024, White was at a college football game in Fort Collins. A fan hit him in the back of the head.

Endorsements

Derrick White has deals with two drink companies from Boston. These are Samuel Adams and Culture Pop. He has been in commercials and on billboards for these brands.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Playoffs

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

College

See also

In Spanish: Derrick White para niños