There is no better compliment for a shooter in basketball than being acknowledged by Stephen Curry, someone who made shooting three-pointers look like child’s play. So, when the Chef was shocked at how good Derrick White had become, he approached him and asked what he did to improve his game. White recently revealed exactly that.
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White has been a member of the Boston Celtics since 2022, when he was traded to the 18-time champs mid-season by San Antonio. That year, he played Curry in the Finals, where, of course, the Golden State legend outshone him and the rest of the Celtics, winning in six. That season, White was not the elite shooter that the league knows today. So, what happened?
White worked on his jumper with the help of Ben Sullivan, who was the assistant coach of the Celtics at the time. He made tweaks to his game and developed a confidence that not only turned him into a bona fide starter for a contending Celtics team but also earned him international success.
“Stars, they can work their way,” White admitted on the White Noise podcast. “They can miss the first 10 shots… So, like, having that consistently — that’s why I changed it — and then just having the right mentality of being one for one. And then Ben Sullivan kind of helped me.”
Sullivan asked the now 31-year-old to keep his follow-through and guide hand up when shooting. “So, a lot of times when I am slumping, I try to remind myself to do that. That just keeps me in the box… All those things have turned me into someone who shoots 10 threes a game now…”
“My confidence has gone up. Like Steph came up to me two years ago, he was like, ‘What have you been doing?!’ This is unbelievable, like congrats, I respect your work,'” White revealed.
Of course, the praise floored him and motivated him to work even harder, and it shows on the court. His shooting percentage rose to 39% in the Celtics’ 2023/24 championship-winning season, compared to 31% in 2021/22, when White faced Curry for the crown for the first time.
White’s improved jumper also earned him a Team USA Olympic call-up in 2024, where he shared a locker room with Curry on their way to winning the gold medal. It’s possible that’s when Curry saw White play up close and gave him the praise he recently mentioned.
