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Celtics Make Derrick White Announcement on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 5:16 PM ET

Derrick White and the Boston Celtics saw their season come to a close in the Eastern Conference semifinals, falling to the New York Knicks in six games.

Boston now enters the offseason with issues to address. Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and Jaylen Brown (knee) both underwent procedures that will keep them out for some time. And Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have found themselves in trade rumors.

While White hasn't been deemed untouchable, his impact for the Celtics has not gone unnoticed, especially on the defensive end.

For that, the Celtics announced that White has been named the team's Defensive Player of the Year.

"The NBA’s top shot-blocking guard for the third straight season ," the Celtics wrote on X on Friday. "Derrick White is our Defensive Player of the Year."

The NBA’s top shot-blocking guard for the third straight season

Derrick White is our Defensive Player of the Year https://t.co/PEcc0Kxj9c
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 13, 2025

White finished the season tallying 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. While his offense has improved, his defense remains as good as ever.

Leading the entire Celtics team in blocks per game, White also was the top shot-blocking guard in the NBA for a third-straight season, averaging 1.1 blocks per game.

White also nearly led the team in steals with 72. He trailed only Brown by one steal and Tatum, the team leader, by four. But White's defensive dominance shouldn't come as a surprise to some after making two consecutive NBA All-Defensive second teams in 2023 and 2024.

White was originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2017, where he spent nearly five seasons. In the middle of the 2021-22 season, the Celtics acquired White via trade in exchange for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a couple of picks.

His impact was immediately felt in Boston, helping it make the NBA Finals off the bench that year. The following season, White was inserted into the Celtics' starting lineup and helped them win a championship in 2024.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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