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Celtics’ Derrick White sacrificed expensive Mexico birthday trip for Olympics
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- Celtics’ Derrick White sacrificed expensive Mexico birthday trip for Olympics
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The post Celtics' Derrick White sacrificed expensive Mexico birthday trip for Olympics appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White revealed he gave up an extravagant 30th birthday trip to Mexico to join Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics , where the United States captured its fifth consecutive gold medal.
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White shared the story on the latest episode of the White Noise Podcast with co-host Alex Welsh. He reflected on the timeline that led to his last-minute Olympic inclusion, which unfolded during the Celtics' 2024 playoff run en route to their 18th NBA championship .
"The night we won the championship was the first time I said something about the Olympics," White recalled. "We were in the playoffs when I saw a tweet saying if Kawhi couldn't go, I might be a possibility. My agent didn't bring it up — we were focused on the playoffs. Then we won. I was in the hallway like, 'Mike, am I going to the Olympics?' He's like, we'll see."
"In that moment, I was like, I'm going. But then I didn't hear anything. They said Kawhi was at training camp in Vegas, so I thought I wasn't going. I moved on. Then, later, USA called. I had to go. Missed our huge 30th birthday trip to Mexico. They had a life-size cutout of me at the party. I paid for the whole weekend for everyone, even though I wasn't there. Wasn't cheap. But I had to go win a gold."
Olympic gold and breakout season elevate Derrick White 's role for 2025–26 Celtics
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White joined a star-studded Team USA roster that included his Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum and former teammate Jrue Holiday . He contributed 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a team-best 1.4 steals in 15.8 minutes per game. Team USA capped their run with a victory over France to claim the gold medal .
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Following the Olympics, White built on the momentum with a career-best regular season in 2024–25. In his eighth NBA campaign, he averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44.2% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range across 76 games.
Despite White's strong play, the Celtics' hopes for a repeat title fell short. Boston was eliminated by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, with star forward Jayson Tatum suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in the series.
As the Celtics head into the 2025–26 season, White is expected to take on a larger offensive role alongside Jaylen Brown while Jayson Tatum continues to recover from the Achilles tear he suffered during the 2025 playoffs. White's development over the past year — including a championship run in 2024 and a gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics — has solidified his value to the franchise.
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