Inside The Celtics

'Forget it, Let's Go': Derrick White Shares Mindset After Chipping Tooth in NBA Finals

Bobby Krivitsky

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) celebrates after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) celebrates after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
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Game 5 of the NBA Finals is a night the Celtics and their fan base will never forget. A dominant display by the former allowed the latter to celebrate throughout the matchup without worrying about a potential return to Dallas.

But for Derrick White, it was more than avoiding complacency with a significant advantage on the scoreboard that tested his focus. With just over 2:30 left in the first half, dove to the TD Garden parquet for a loose ball. Unfortunately, Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, also in hot pursuit, wound up pressing the former Colorado Buffalo's head into the hardwood, chipping one of White's front teeth.

"In the moment, I thought my whole tooth was gone, and I was pretty worried about that," shared White at Gillette's World Shaving Headquarters for Gillette's traditional 'championship shave.'

"But then they told me I chipped it, and I had chipped it in the past, so I was like, 'Forget it, let's go.' So, I just got back out there, and at halftime, they were looking at different things; I'm like, 'I don't care what you do, as long as I'm back out there,' and I just wanted to go out there and help us get one more win."

The six-foot-four guard finished Boston's championship-clinching victory with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block on the seven-foot-one Lively at the rim.

After helping the Celtics secure Banner 18, White sent the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy when he said from the podium, "I'd lose all my teeth for a championship."

He then made a trip to Boston Dental to get his tooth fixed in time for Friday's parade. Regarding the latter, the seven-year veteran expressed on Monday, "That parade was unreal. I didn't know what to expect going in, but that was just mind blowing. Just to see the city embrace us the way they did — and they have all year, but that moment was special."

Now, White heads into an offseason where he'll soon celebrate his 30th birthday and a summer that will likely feature a four-year, $127 million extension with the Celtics and may include the chance to join Team USA's quest for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Further Reading

Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him

On Derrick White and the Fuel for Unprecedented Journey to NBA's Best Role Player

Jayson Tatum, an NBA Champion Entering Peak of His Powers

Jaylen Brown Caps Career Year with NBA Finals MVP: 'Can't Even Put it into Words'

Tatum and Brown Reach NBA Summit, Lead Celtics to Banner 18

Dependable Xavier Tillman Discusses Learning to 'Be a Star in Your Own Role'

Celtics Detail Keys to Perhaps Their Best Quarter This Postseason

Sports Doctor Details Challenges, Risks of Kristaps Porzingis Playing in NBA Finals

Jrue Holiday's 'Championship DNA' Rubbing Off on Celtics

Inside the Moment that Propelled Celtics to NBA Finals Game 1 Win

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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