“I mean, I’ll lose all my teeth for a championship.” Blood, sweat, and a part of his tooth. Derrick White left his all on the court to help the Celtics win a title. It was during the deciding game of the Finals that he hit his face on the floor while diving for a loose ball. When he got back up, half of his front tooth was missing. But he fought through the pain and dropped 14 points to seal the win. While White got his chipped tooth temporarily fixed before the parade, he was forced to delay the final procedure because of a bigger commitment.

Now with a full set of teeth and a smile on his face, Derrick White was recently asked if he has gotten used to his new teeth. He replied, “Yeah. So, I got the temporary ones for this and then, I was supposed to get them fixed and then I got the Olympics call.”

Yes, initially not making the Olympics roster, the Celt was added to Team USA after Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the tournament. He had also just signed a brand-new $118 million guaranteed deal in Boston. And because of the last-minute call, he had no choice but to put his dentist appointment on hold.

Funnily enough, while the rest of the Team USA players were worried about winning a gold medal, Derrick White had a different concern during his Paris trip, “So, I was nervous the whole time that my teeth were gonna fall out during the Olympics.”

However, once again, the fear of losing his teeth did not come in the way of his performance on the court as White helped Team USA bring home an Olympic gold. While he did not get much playing time in Paris because of the star power on the team, the Celt was highly productive whenever he was on the floor, averaging 3.8 points.

Sure enough, once he returned home with a gold medal, he went straight to the dentist’s clinic! “After the Olympics, I got them fixed. Friday, I had to go back to the dentist, and I got three root canals, and yeah. I’ve been to the dentist for those two trips for like 8 hours.” Despite the lengthy dental procedure, the hooper did not forget to appreciate the dentist for taking good care of him.

Derrick White claims he had a ‘good summer’ despite chipping his tooth

Although the pictures might not have come out the way he would have liked, White surely made memories for a lifetime this summer. Obviously, winning the NBA Championship was the first major accomplishment and the biggest of his career so far. But then, the call to the Olympics was just icing on the cake! Even Derrick was surprised when he got selected and revealed that he had to cancel an upcoming trip to Cabo San Lucas. “It was amazing just getting that phone call. I was just at home chilling and relaxing and just getting that call and being a part of that team with legends of the game and people that are the best that the game has right now.”

The hooper was simply grateful for the opportunity, “I was just thankful to be a part of that team and go out there and learn as much and just try to help us win the gold which was obviously a special moment, so it was a good summer and I enjoyed it.” Sure enough, the chance to represent your nation on the biggest stage alongside legends like LeBron James and Stephen Curry was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And Derrick White leaped at the opportunity, embracing his defensive and decision-making role without any hesitation the same way he dove for the ball in the NBA Finals that resulted in him losing his tooth. That’s how much he loves winning.

Thoughts?

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.