The Boston Celtics have waved goodbye to many excellent players recently, including three key members of their 2024 title-winning team this offseason.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford all left the Celtics this summer as the front office completely rebuilt the roster.
Derrick White, one of the few who have stayed, has now explained that another player’s departure was a big loss two years ago.
He even revealed that everyone on the Celtics wanted him to stay because he was so important to the locker room.
Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty ImagesDerrick White reveals how Blake Griffin helped the Boston Celtics beyond basketball
Blake Griffin was a six-time All-Star with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Detroit Pistons, but by the time he joined the Celtics, he was merely a bench option.
So, he found another way to help the team besides scoring and rebounding on the court. White shared on his podcast that Griffin was an “unbelievable teammate.”
Having averaged just four points per game in the 2022/23 season, Griffin then retired from professional basketball, to the Celtics players’ disappointment.
“Blake is unbelievable,” White said. “That year, he kept us together. He can get along with every person. He can be serious; he can joke; he can do a little bit of everything.
“It was awesome because this is Blake Griffin, with however many All-Stars and All-NBAs. He’s done so much in this league, and he was willing to sacrifice.
“He was willing to take the first bus and do what he needed to, like he was a rookie or a young player. He didn’t have to do that, and he just made everything connected.
“We were able to stay together because of Blake, and everybody wanted him to come back. He’s an unbelievable teammate and an unbelievable player.”
Derrick White recalls moment Blake Griffin boosted his confidence
Derrick White also recalled one specific interaction with Blake Griffin during the 2022/23 season that boosted his morale.
Griffin made White feel more confident in his game after telling him that he was much better than he realized before joining the Celtics.
White continued: “We had a lot of fun, and one thing I’ll remember is, we were at dinner or something, and he pulled me aside like, ‘I didn’t realize how good you were until I was on the team with you.’
“If you play someone every now and then, you don’t really know. You’re not watching every game. He was like, ‘I had no idea. I was like, ‘Thanks Blake.’ That gave me a lot of confidence to keep going.
“If Blake believes in me, I’m doing something right. He didn’t have to do that, but he just pulled me aside and told me. That was dope. Blake is unbelievable.”