Derrick White had to get some dental work done this summer after he dove for a loose ball and hit his head on the floor in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. The Boston Celtics guard chipped a tooth and two others were loose.
White was able to get temporary teeth for Boston’s championship parade and planned to get them replaced later in the summer. But he was called to represent Team USA in the Paris Olympics. Because he didn’t have time to get his teeth fixed before flying to Paris, he had some concerns while he played.
“I got the temporary ones for (the championship parade), and then I was supposed to get them fixed, and then I got the Olympics call. So I was nervous the whole time that my teeth were gonna fall out during the Olympics,” White told NBC Boston’s Chris Forsberg. “But after the Olympics I got them fixed. And then I had to go back to the dentist and I got three root canals. I’ve been to the dentist — those two trips — for like eight hours. But great people in the dentist’s office there. They are taking good care of me.”
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White originally wasn’t on Team USA’s roster. But he replaced Kawhi Leonard after the Los Angeles Clippers star withdrew so he could focus on rehabbing his knee inflammation that forced him to miss the final eight games of the 2023-24 NBA season. White got the call while he was in Colorado and preparing to go to Cabo with his family.
He averaged 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists during Team USA’s gold-medal run. White made an impact when he was on the court throughout the tournament even with the fear of his teeth falling out.
Now with new teeth, White is preparing for a 2024-25 season in which the Celtics have high expectations to repeat as NBA champions.
