Derrick White has played the best basketball of his career since joining the Celtics in 2022. He’s won a title, been part of two All-Defensive teams and won an Olympic gold medal as part of Team USA. Next year his role with the Celtics will increase even more with Jayson Tatum expected to miss most of the season.
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White turned 31 earlier this month and last summer he signed a four-year, $126-million contract extension. It’s safe to say that he still has a lot of basketball left in him, but on the premiere episode of his new White Noise podcast, he gave a glimpse into what life might be like after he hangs up his sneakers.
White spoke about the experience he had in Singapore last month with “Basketball Without Borders,” a community outreach program organized by the NBA and FIBA which aims to develop young talent around the globe. Many current NBA players have come through the Basketball Without Borders program, including Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Jamal Murray, Lauri Markkanen and Nic Batum.
“It was an unbelievable experience, just seeing the talent out there in Asia, messing around, sharing some insights,” White said. “Me and [Atlanta Hawks assistant] Ron Nored were coaching and we were GM and so you’re kind of scouting. It’s a cool experience.”
Not only did White get to see the sights in Singapore and Bali, Nored and he also showed that they had an eye for talent. The team of high-schoolers that they selected and coached won the tournament, beating out teams coached by Tyrese Maxey, Jared Dudley, Duop Reath and WNBA legend Ticha Penichiero.
“It definitely was a fun experience, and that’s the main thing about being in the NBA — they give you all these experiences that if you want, you can take advantage of. I could definitely see me doing something like this after I’m done.”
Getting hands-on experience with young talent will certainly help White if he decides to pursue coaching or a front office role after his playing days are done. He’s also spent his entire career with two of the NBA’s best-run organizations in the Spurs and Celtics and getting to see guys like Greg Popovich and Brad Stevens on a daily basis will no doubt help him, too.
White has always been known as a cerebral player on the court; the kind of guy that could help any team. If he wants to stay involved with the game after he retires, it’s a good bet that he’ll be just as successful as he is as a player.
