Celtics' Jayson Tatum Thinks Derrick White Isn't Fouled Enough

Boston All-Star Jayson Tatum weighs in on All-Defensive teammate Derrick White.

Mar 31, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA: Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Derrick White (9) reach for a rebound with Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Six-time Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum believes that two-time All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White needs to earn some technical foul calls, even though they come attached to punitive fines.

White was initially whistled for a technical foul during 123-103 blowout home win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. White was distraught at the call.

Derrick White's reaction when it was incorrectly announced that he had been issued a tech 😆

(He has one tech in his 8-year career) pic.twitter.com/3k3MbRhvfl

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) April 5, 2025

Tatum celebrated the moment initially. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer was ultimately assessed with the tech after a review, and it was stricken from White's record.

Souichi Terada of MassLive notes that Tatum, who has earned 66 technical fouls throughout his career, wants White to be more aggressive when arguing calls and to pick up more techs.

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“I’m no stranger to getting techs,” Tatum said. “D-White has never got a tech since he’s been in the league. I don’t know if anybody’s ever seen the reference in ‘The Longest Yard’ and when they was doing the recruiting and Chris Rock was like, ‘Man, I got half a star.’ So I told D-White like, you gotta get one tech and get your street cred up. So I got excited when I thought he got a tech. I kind of campaigned for him to get one, one day. So we’ll see.”

Jayson Tatum, after bickering with Derrick White, reflects on his disappointment with White not actually getting a tech endorsement tonight

He’s apparently been wanting him to get one for a very long time for “street cred” lol pic.twitter.com/HSjL6TDwp1

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 5, 2025

As Terada notes, White actually has received one technical foul call in his career — during a January 22 tilt against the L.A. Clippers. White hit Clippers wing Amir Coffey in the face while contesting a shot attempt.

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Terada instead interprets Tatum's comments to mean that Tatum wants White to be more vocal in complaining to referees. Tatum has accrued 14 technical fouls of his own this year, and will be automatically suspended for a game if he earns 16.

“It’s been a longtime discussion,” Tatum said of White getting more techs. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time. I just heard technical foul D-White, so I got excited. I was going to go give him a huge hug or something.”

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