Derrick White facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Derrick White

White with the Boston Celtics in 2024
No. 9 – Boston Celtics
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1994-07-02) July 2, 1994 (age 30) 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 Richard 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."

White played college basketball for three years in NCAA Division II for the Colorado–Colorado Springs Mountain Lions. Then, he moved to NCAA Division I to play for the Colorado Buffaloes for his last year.

The San Antonio Spurs picked White 29th in the 2017 NBA draft. In February 2022, he joined the Celtics. He became a key player when they reached the 2022 NBA Finals. White started playing as a regular starter in the 2022–23 season. He was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive Team that season and again the next season. He won his first NBA championship when the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. White also won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.

High School Journey: Growing into a Star

White went to Legend High School in Parker, Colorado. He was part of the school's very first graduating class. As a freshman, his basketball team had only one win in their league. By his senior year, White was much better. He averaged 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.

White scored over 1,000 points during his high school career. When he graduated in 2012, he was a six-foot tall guard. In February 2023, Legend High School honored White. He was the first person ever to be put into their Hall of Fame.

College Career: From Unknown to All-American

When White finished high school, not many colleges wanted him. He didn't get any scholarship offers from bigger schools. At 18, he was just barely 6 feet tall. He had grown two inches during his senior year.

A coach named Jeff Culver showed a lot of interest in White. Culver was then coaching at a smaller school. When Culver became the head coach at NCAA Division II's Colorado–Colorado Springs, he offered White a special payment for his first year.

Coach Culver thought White might become a starter later in his college career. But White grew taller and became much stronger. He almost reached his projected height of 6 feet 5 inches. With his new size and skills, White became a star at UCCS. He started every game for three years. He left as the school's top player in points (1,912) and assists (343). In his junior year, White averaged 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He led his team to the 2015 NCAA tournament. He was even named an All-American.

After his junior year, White decided to move to a bigger school. He transferred to NCAA Division I's Colorado. He wanted to play in the Pac-12 Conference, which is one of the best in the country. He had to sit out the 2015–16 season because of NCAA rules. But in his one season with the Buffaloes, he did great. He averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. White was named first-team All-Pac-12 and was also on the All-Defensive team.

Professional Career: Making it to the NBA

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 who didn't play for a top college team. The San Antonio Spurs chose White with the 29th pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He signed with the Spurs on July 6, 2017.

On October 18, 2017, White played his first NBA game. He came off the bench in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sometimes, he also played for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League. On March 12, 2018, White scored a career-high 14 points. He made his NBA playoffs debut on April 14, 2018.

In October 2018, White had a foot injury. He returned in November. On December 31, he scored a new career-high of 22 points against the Boston Celtics. On January 10, 2019, he scored 23 points in a double-overtime win. Later that month, he scored 26 points against the Brooklyn Nets. In the playoffs on April 18, he scored a playoff career-high of 36 points against the Denver Nuggets.

On December 21, 2020, the Spurs signed White to a new four-year contract. On April 1, 2021, he made a career-high seven three-pointers in a game.

Boston Celtics (2022–present)

2021–22 Season: Reaching the Finals

On February 10, 2022, White was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played his first game for the Celtics the next day, scoring 15 points.

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

2022–23 Season: Becoming a Starter

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.

In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 27, White made an amazing shot. He scored a buzzer-beating put-back as time ran out. This helped the Celtics win 104–103 against the Miami Heat and forced a Game 7. He was only the second player in NBA history to make such a game-winning shot when his team was about to be eliminated. The Celtics, however, lost Game 7.

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

2023–24 Season: NBA Champion

White continued to be a starter for the Celtics. His scoring and assists improved. 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 got his first career triple-double. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

In the 2024 NBA playoffs, White had a playoff career-high 38 points against the Miami Heat. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, he made the game-winning three-pointer. This helped the Celtics win and move on to the 2024 NBA Finals. White helped the Celtics win the NBA Finals, beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

2024–25 Season: New Contract

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

National Team Career

On August 24, 2019, White was part of the U.S. national team for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

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

Personal Life

Derrick White married Hannah Schneider in August 2021. They have two sons: Hendrix James, born in May 2022, and Daxton, born in November 2023.

In September 2024, White was at a football game when an incident occurred with a fan.

Endorsements

White has deals with two Boston-based drink companies, Samuel Adams and Culture Pop. He has appeared 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
Career		418	302	27.5	.450	.363	.854	3.5	4.1	.8	.9	12.3

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
Career		72	45	28.7	.455	.394	.852	3.2	2.8	.8	.9	12.4

College

See also

In Spanish: Derrick White para niños