Imagine the Derrick White you believe to be familiar. The versatile, trustworthy combo guard. The brilliant and cunning shot-blocker. the unrelenting defender on the ball. The Boston Celtics’ go-to player for clutch shots whenever they need one. The joining. The Derrick White who finished Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks with 26 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal.

His close friends and family have always known him as the humble baller who lights up the court. However, until they were unable to avoid him, teammates, coaches, recruiters, and rivals were unaware of Derrick White when he was a child.

“He had just gotten his wisdom teeth out,” said Alex Welsh, White’s best friend and teammate at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. “It was either that morning or the day before. And you’ve been around someone who’s gotten their wisdom teeth. They have chubby cheeks. And at this point, Derrick’s like 6’4”, 160 pounds. So skinny. And he just walks in, he’s got these huge cheeks, and this is his first impression with a lot of the guys.”

Before enrolling at UCCS, the only college to scout him and a Division II school, White had not yet filled out his frame.

Little and scrawny, he had recently graduated from high school. He also had extremely swollen cheeks.

He went to a Pro-Am league to get some practice in with some new teammates. He was supposed to redshirt his freshman year and no one was expecting much of him.

“We all know who he is. Some of us met him. But he walked in, and everybody was like, ‘Yo, are you good? Like, what?’ He was like, [mumbled] ‘Oh, I got my wisdom teeth out.’ He’s talking like you do when you get your wisdom teeth out. Everybody’s like, ‘Why are you here?’ He was like, ‘Oh, I feel fine. I’m okay.’”

And despite initial hesitation, the reserved, chipmunk-y kid did what he always does: busted out of his shell.

“All of a sudden, [the Pro-Am] was like a one night a week thing for three or four weeks throughout the summer — he’s ridiculous,” said Welsh. “He’s doing put-back slams and driving down the lane and taking off on people off one foot. And we’re like, ‘What? Who is this kid?’”

White had defied everyone’s expectations. Again.

Derrick White isn’t a star from NBA central casting. In a sport that highlights dramatic, rim-rocking plays, White’s been often overlooked. But there’s a competitive drive that simmers just under the surface of the quiet kid from Parker, Colorado. It’s propelled him to be the essential piece of a championship contender that he is today.

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Derrick White and Reece Elliot, from left to right.DerrickAccording to Derrick White’s family and friends, he has always had the self-assurance to fill an arena. They also realised that he was routinely overlooked due to his appearance.

“He was just not that big. He just didn’t have the size,” said Cory Calvert, a childhood friend. Outsiders would take a look at White’s skinny frame and move on.

To casual observers, White has always been shy and reserved. However, in quiet, private settings, Calvert remembered him differently. “You get to know him, and he talks a lot of smack,” he said.

“His personality has always been very competitive,” said Richard White, Derrick’s father. “He’s liked sports since the age of 4. He’s very social with his particular friends. So, he’s very loyal in that regard.”

Left to right: Derrick White and Reece Elliot.

And while White constantly showed off his conviction in more intimate environments, his personality only reinforced the presumptuous way outsiders viewed him.

“He’s never going to be the loudest guy in the room that comes out. That’s just not his style,” said Reece Elliot, another childhood friend. “He doesn’t have that outgoing personality. But it’s not because he’s reserved. He’s just very aware, and he’s a good listener, and he’s a good friend. So, he picks and chooses his battles wisely, which I love about him.”

From high school to college, and on to the NBA, coaches and scouts have judged White for his size and demeanor. It made the road to the league, already improbable, even harder.

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Left to right: Reece Elliot playing for Chaparral High School and Derrick White playing for Legend High School.

ImagineImagine White now, in his element. He’s just slithered over a screen and he’s fighting back into the play. He’s a step behind as Anthony Edwards makes his move, but just as the shot goes up, White extends his reach to cleanly swat the ball from behind.

That defensive artist didn’t get a shot to play basketball for his middle school.

“In eighth grade, he actually got cut from the team and didn’t even make the A-team,” Calvert said. “And I remember being really frustrated about it at the time because he’s one of my best friends, and he was obviously good enough.”

The setback was earth-shattering.

“[He was] devastated,” said Calvert. “And I remember his parents were furious. And I was furious. It just was a really, really unfortunate situation, to be honest.”

Thirteen-year-olds occasionally have tantrums when things don’t go their way. White accepted the setback with a smile. He persevered through the pick, much like the unrelenting defender he is on the court. He made the decision to disprove his sceptics.

“He became the man at his high school the next year as a freshman,” Calvert said. “And even though he was small, he was by far their best player.”

In his four years at Legend High School, White logged 1085 points and 176 steals, establishing himself as a Titans legend. He’s one of only three athletes from Legend to go pro; the other two are Boston Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Chad Muma.