Derrick White Q&A: On Celtics' Big Changes, Next Season's Role & New Endorsement

Derrick White has grown into a star as a member of the Celtics, and this past season was his best yet. The All-Defense guard averaged a career-high in points per game with 16.4 and made his mark as one of the league's deadliest shooters from deep; White's 3.5 three-pointers per game ranked fourth in the entire NBA last year. Paired with his typically excellent perimeter defense and unusual talent for shot-blocking, White further cemented his place as one of Boston's most important players as well as a player every team would absolutely love to have.

The upcoming season will be White's biggest challenge yet. With Jayson Tatum likely out for the year due to his torn Achilles and significant offseason roster turnover, he will be asked to shoulder more responsibility on both ends of the court than he's experienced so far in the NBA. He and Jaylen Brown will be the only two starters left from Boston's championship team; much will be expected from White.

Ahead of the big year White teamed up with Bazooka Joe as one of 12 athletes who will be featured in brand-new Bazooka Joe comics; it's the first time in 30 years the company will be releasing new comics. White is featured alongside fellow famous athletes like DK Metcalf and Freddie Freeman. White spoke to Sports Illustrated on behalf of the partnership and spoke about how it came to be, as well as his feelings on the Celtics' big summer of change, his favorite memory from the championship season, and more.

Sports Illustrated: The Celtics have suffered significant roster turnover this offseason, with names like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday traded away. How does it feel watching guys you battled alongside head out of town like that?

Derrick White: Yeah, I mean, that is the tough part about the business. But it is a business at the end of the day. Jrue, KP, Luke (Kornet), all of them, it was definitely tough to see them leave. You wish we could play with them forever, but this is kind of the way it is. I always wish them the best. There will be a lot of fun when we see them again. and I’m just excited to play with the people we do have.

SI: You’re going to have a big role for the Celtics next season with Jayson Tatum’s injury and the turnover we’ve been talking about.. How are you approaching that challenge?

DW: I’m excited. It’s obviously a different year than last year, but I think we have the same expectations and standards. So I've been attacking this offseason as, ‘I gotta get better.’ It’s been really fun trying to get in the gym and improve on things that I need to work on. When we get back to Boston, it’ll be a lot of fun.

SI: What’s your favorite memory from the 2023–24 championship season?

DW: Well, it's hard to just pick one, when there were a bunch of special moments and those are all special players and did big things for us. So I’d probably say just celebrating with everyone after we won. Being on the stage together with our families up there after we won, maybe the next celebration in the locker room after. If I had to pick one, with that memory we're all together after we accomplished our goals together.

SI: Congratulations on getting your own Bazooka Joe comic. Were you involved in the making of it?

DW: Bazooka’s got the content creation team and I just let them come up with it. I'm not creative enough to be in those meetings. And you've got a lot of a lot of experience, a lot of the intelligent people out there. So it was just a lot of fun for me to open up my own one. That was actually the fun part for me, opening up the comic and seeing what it was instead of me, like doing it, you know?

SI: How does it feel to join the famous ranks of Bazooka Joe athletes?

DW: It’s an honor. Obviously there's a long line of big names that have been a part of Bazooka, and for me to be a part of it is pretty special. It’s pretty crazy to think about. I never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I'd be in a Bazooka comic, but it's really special.

SI: Did you read Bazooka Joe comics growing up?

DW: Yeah, yeah, I was a fan. Especially, I think opening up the gum wrapper and seeing what comic you got is always a fun part for me.

SI: What was your initial reaction to hearing about the opportunity given your personal connection?

DW: It reminded me of going to a grocery store with my mom and begging to buy a Bazooka. When I was thinking about becoming part of it and being involved I started thinking about stuff like that. Then they said they were going to do this new wave, and I thought it’d be cool to be a part of it.