Derrick White tackles trade rumors, a new-look Celtics roster and excitement to prove doubters wrong

Derrick White tackles trade rumors, a new-look Celtics roster and excitement to prove doubters wrong

[Applause] [Music] at the front of my round two. Take that. What’s up everybody? Non-emergency edition of the Selfie Talk podcast back at you. Part two of what we teased yesterday. uh a chance to catch up with Derek White. Very busy day. Like I I went from the Hourback Center, then got was fortunate enough to catch up with Derek um to talk about one, you know, being back home in Park, Colorado, getting to uh to lead youth through the the through their drills and and and coaching up the next generation. Uh one of my favorite things is all the campers what kind of questions they were asking him. Uh of course, they asked probably better questions than professional journalists me. So, uh, that that’s sobering as well. But, uh, getting to catch up about his summer, a trip to Singapore, uh, and just the craziness with the Celtics roster, you know, from touching base with Jason Tatum on as he navigates his rehab to the opportunity in front of Derek to really just kind of even take the next step in his NBA blossoming. You know, I I think we’ve said it here on on our our programs quite often. feels like an all-star season for Derek White is a is a pretty good pretty good chance to happen this year. What Dererick’s working on this off season, what he expects from Joe Missoula in a in a year where the expectations have changed and uh you know, maybe even a little uh thought on what Luke Cornett was able to uh to his little shout out for Derek when he arrived down there in San Antonio. So, let’s waste no time. Let’s get right into it. Here’s my chat with Derek White. [Music] All right, Derek, back home. I know you’ve done this a couple years now in a row. What’s it like to get back there and uh just see with the see the kids and hang out in the hometown? Yeah, it’s been a it’s been a great experience. Um it’s always good to come back here and um this is kind of where my whole basketball journey began. So, um, come back here, have a a camp for the kids, and just kind of run around, have fun, and hope everybody has a good time. All right. Now, the kids usually ask better questions than I do. So, what’s what do the kids come up to you and and ask you about in this off season? Um, I got a lot about how JT’s doing. Um, I’ve gotten uh a lot about like Denver, obviously, with the Nuggets being out here. Um, but uh there’s been some pretty good ones about like who who I beat one-on-one and then they just name a bunch of people and I just add one every time. So, um, just a bunch of fun stuff like that. All right. Well, I mean, the kids brought it up, so I’m going to I’m going to go there. How much do you reach out to Jason? How much have you monitored what he’s doing? You know, we were over at the Hourback Center today, and Brad’s telling us he’s in there every single day. We saw the water workout. So, you know, how much are you checking in with with JT? Yeah. Yeah. I know that um he’s at the the practice facility every day and um I know he’s probably bored and u wants to do a lot more, but um I I just been checking in here and there and just seeing how he’s doing um seeing how his summer’s going and I just know that he’s just going to do everything he can to recover quickly as possible and um and I hope I hope hope to see him soon. What has this off seasonason been like? I think we all knew there were was the potential for changes just with the second apron penalties and everything the team is going through, but as a player losing parts of that championship team, you know, what what’s your what’s it like watching it from from afar? Yeah, it’s a it’s always tough to see guys leave um like especially people that you want a championship with and um had so many uh great battles with. So, um, like obviously seeing KP and Drew, um, get traded was was tough to see. Um, and then like Luke signs, uh, somewhere else, like just having a different team and having those guys, um, leave is kind of difficult, but um, it’s it’s part of the business and, uh, I’m confident in the guys that we have um, coming in and and the guys that we still have returning. So, um, it’s going to be a lot of fun and it’s going to be a different challenge, but I think that’s just the the great thing about basketball. Luke did give you a shout out. I think he did he reach out at all for the for the San Antonio uh scouting report or anything like that before he signed there? He uh he had his little introductory press conference yesterday. I think he uh he mentioned how you much you had raved about your experience there. Oh, yeah. Uh, I didn’t give him any any good pointers about San Antonio if he texted me about it. But, uh, um, yeah, I was happy for him. Um, obviously welldeserved. Um, someone that’s kind of started from the beginning of this NBA journey and, um, to get to get paid like he did, like he definitely deserves it. So, um, I wish him the best out there at San Antonio. Um, all all I saw was the, uh, I want to be a third as good as Tim Duncan. So, that that was a good one. That was a good one by Luke. Yeah, no surprise that Luke picked off right where he’s left off in Boston with the with the jokes and everything, but uh yeah, it’s uh it’s still jarring to see him. Like not seeing him in number 40 was just I didn’t know what to do. Uh and it’s just different. Any more tights was was not a good look for him. Uh let’s talk about you mentioned the opportunity in front of you that you’re confident in this team and the guys you you will have back. What about you for you individually? How do you approach a season where even more will be thrown on your plate even as you’ve ascended in in in sort of this role here in Boston? Yeah, I’m excited. Um, obviously it’s going to be a a different challenge and um been really looking forward to it. Um, just getting back in the gym trying to get better. Um, that’s really what I’ve been focused on since we lost is how can I get better? How can I improve? And and so just um take it day by day. um and and understand that my role might be a little bit different, but um the expectations and everything that I need to do kind of stay the same just to help us win games. And so um focusing on what I got to do to get better and and be ready to go for when the lights are on. How can Derek White get better? Uh I could never miss a shot. That would be really cool. Um I don’t know. Uh just be a little stronger with the ball. Like just little things like that. get to my spots um I don’t know I could just there’s a lot of things I can get better at and um on the court my body stuff like that. So um I think it’s a big summer for me and uh it’s been fun. I mean dad Richard White’s got to have some pointers for you right about like what you uh what you need to work on this year. What’s his scouting report? Uh, I haven’t talked to him about uh his couch yet, but he he’s over here at the uh the the desk selling shirts and stuff. So, I’ll go over there and ask him if he he uh put out an Excel spreadsheet or something for me to take a look at. Look, I I you are one of the more grounded players. I think you understand like the nature of this and don’t probably get as caught up in the rumors as some people do, but invariably in the NBA offseason, there’s stuff floated out there. Do you try to ignore the noise when there’s changes going on in your organization? Are you like reaching out to Brad? Like what what what is your summer like when there’s change in an organization? Yeah. I think every summer is is pretty crazy, especially nowadays. Um but uh like I I I didn’t feel too worried uh about anything. Um, my agent and Brad have been talking and um, like all the other rumors and stuff I I wasn’t really too too worried about or um, I mean I feel like it’s cool to be be wanted by other teams, but um, I mean I wanted to stay in Boston and uh, I was glad they wanted to keep me. What is the minimum trade package for a Derek White? I don’t know. They don’t go through me on those questions, but uh, obviously it hasn’t been found yet. I’m saying and there it is. there’s not enough first round picks in the world for uh for for you for you to be moved. Uh how do you think Joe’s going to handle a new year and the new challenges of of you know let’s say like I think the outside perception will be lower expectations, you know, like how will Joe handle that and do you think he’s ready for a season like that? Yeah, he’s going to he’s probably going to love it. Um that’s just the type of guy he is. uh he’s going to be excited about um this opportunity. People doubting us, people um not believing in us and so um knowing him, he’s going to he’s going to come into training camp so excited and um ready to go. And what about you? Brad did mention this morning he said, you know, he expects you guys to come in with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder. Again, like it’s it’s impossible not to hear the noise and what people think this the season might play out like. Do you do you embrace that? Do you like the idea of like, hey, we’re just going to go out and prove people wrong? Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of how my whole NBA and basketball journey has has been. Um, and so that’s a a kind of a fun position to be in, but I mean, we didn’t win the championship last year, so we got a lot to prove, and we got to get better. Uh, so, um, you play for the Boston Celtics, that’s that’s what it is, and we all understand that. So, it it’s going to be a fun position to to prove people wrong, but um we also just got to be ready to go and it’s going to be a a good offseason and and when training camps comes around, I’m sure everybody’s going to be ready to go. What else is on the menu for Derek White’s off season? You got So, you said you’ already been to Singapore. Like, you’re supposed to be laying low, man. Like, this is this is you’ve been you’ve been traveling like you’ve been How many times you been to Abu Dhabi? Like, you need to just you need to just take it easy one of these summers. Yeah. Yeah. I went to Singapore and Bali. Uh those are it was really fun. Um went to Singapore with basketball without borders and so that was a fun experience. Um to see basketball out there and and kind of just see the uh how it is out there in Singapore which I had an amazing time out there and then just kind of laid on the beach and relax at Bali. So, uh, although it was a long ways away, it was a a fun time and, um, now it’s just get back to work and, uh, start start the the process of of getting my myself ready for the next season. Nice. All right. Well, go see the kids, but you got to tell them they can’t ask questions about the Nuggets. I know you’re out there, but like, you got to keep the focus on the Celtics and making sure they understand that, you know, like look, just a little bump in the road. Like, this this this isn’t going to be a big deal. Yeah, that’s why I wore my Celtics shirt today. Uh, just let them know where I where I stand. I love it, Derek. Thank you so much. We’ll see you in training camp. [Music] Derek is uh one of my most favorite people. Um, and especially in a year where we’ve lost a good amount of joy from the Celtics team, like not being not seeing Kristoffs with his cup of coffee and uh losing Luke. We need uh we need a little bit of levity, a little bit of personality around this team and uh luckily Derek has seems to have great perspective. Um I love that even in what could be a high pressure summer and hearing your name floated and oh well the Celtics trade you for a uh Desmond Bane like package of picks. Um, Derek seems to have to have embraced uh what he can control, focus on getting better, focusing on going to Singapore and Bali and getting some beach time and giving back to the to the next generation at those camps out in Colorado. Um, you know, keep an eye on the calendar. I know a lot of Celtics players do these camps. Uh Payton Pers’s got a bunch in this area coming up uh through August and um you I know most of these guys always pop up, but it’s uh it it was very nice of Derek take a few minutes to to pop out of that camp to to talk about what it’s been like this season. Uh like I said, we’ll be back soon enough. Uh I don’t think the Celtics are done with the roster tinkering. We got some summer league games coming up. You can catch them all here on NBC Sports Boston. Uh we’ll have some serious overreactions to whatever Ugo and uh Jordan Walsh and Baylor Shyman do on a nightly basis out there as we uh try to identify what this team’s going to look like next season and and who the next set of breakout candidates might just be. Until then, go like, go subscribe, go check us out on the YouTube page. Catch you next time on the Celtics Talk podcast.

Derrick White joins Chris Forsberg to address trade rumors, share his perspective on the Celtics’ revamped roster, and discuss Jayson Tatum’s recovery

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