Derrick White Says Jason Tatum Won't Respect Him Until He Does This
Aug 6, 2025
Celtics guard Derrick White recently revealed the one thing Jayson Tatum said he had to do in order to earn his respect.
Derrick White has been a member of the Boston Celtics since 2022 and should have done enough by now to earn the respect of his teammates.
The point guard was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in both 2023 and 2024. He set career highs in 2024-25 with averages of 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 33.9 minutes per game. And White was also a starter on the 2024 team that won the NBA Championships.
Still, that hasn't been enough for Tatum. White said of his teammate on his White Noise podcast:
"There are guys on the ream that have been giving me hell about not having a technical foul. Jayson Tatum told me he doesn't respect me until I get a technical. We'll see. We'll see. Not against him, but I'm not going to go out of my way to get one. I'm going to get ejected."
If White does land a technical this year, Jayson Tatum will be watching from the sidelines. The superstar tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs against the New York Knicks and will miss the entire season.
The Celtics have also lost Jrue Holliday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and will likely lose Al Horford. Considering all those losses, they may not be as strong a team as usual. Still, any team that boast Derrick White and Jaylen Brown can still win on any given night.
