“He Was Willing to Sacrifice”: Derrick White Heaps Praise on Blake Griffin’s Celtics Stint

Blake Griffin was the type of NBA player teammates loved having around. He played hard and brought energy to the court. For most of his career, he suited up for the Los Angeles Clippers, but later had stints with the Pistons, Nets, and Celtics. That said, it is not always the length of time that defines a player’s legacy. Often, it is the impact they leave behind.

Griffin spent just one season with the Boston Celtics, but Derrick White will always remember their time together as teammates. On his White Noise podcast, when co-host Alex Welsh mentioned Griffin’s stint in Beantown during the 2022/23 season, White immediately perked up.

White called Griffin “unbelievable” and revealed that he did a great job serving as the glue in the locker room. It was an important role to take on, especially in a season where the Celtics underdelivered, falling in seven games to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.

“That year, he kind of kept us all together. He can get along with every person. He can be serious, he can joke, he can do a little bit of everything,” the 31-year-old stated.

White went on to explain how Air Griffin was not only fun to be around but also an inspirational presence behind the scenes. “It was awesome because this is Blake Griffin. However many All-Stars, All-NBAs, he’s done so much in this league, and he was willing to sacrifice. He was willing to take the first bus. Do what he needs to do. He didn’t have to do that. We were able to stay together because of Blake.”

This tracked. Griffin always came across as cool as the other side of the pillow, then delivered in big moments when necessary. He was certainly a shell of himself during his one year in Boston, but he embraced his role with purpose. On top of that, White revealed that Blake boosted his confidence whenever he had the chance. “We were doing dinner or something, and he pulled me aside and was like,’ I didn’t realize how good you were until I was on a team with you,'” stated White.

“It gave me a lot of confidence,” the three-point specialist added. “It gave me reassurance. A lot of confidence to keep going. ‘Blake believe me, so I’m doing something right.’ He ain’t have to do that, but he just pulled me aside and told me. Blake is unbelievable.”

In the end, Blake’s lone season with the Celtics wasn’t about highlight dunks or stat sheets. He brought humor, leadership, and humility to a locker room, chasing bigger goals, and his presence left a lasting mark on his teammates.

For a player who had already accomplished so much in his career, Griffin’s willingness to sacrifice and lift others showed the true measure of his value. One season was all it took for him to cement his place as a beloved figure in Celtics lore.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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