Derrick White has discovered huge success with the Boston Celtics, though when Gregg Popovich advised him that the San Antonio Spurs had been buying and selling him, he wasn’t thrilled concerning the prospects.
Earlier than the 2022 NBA commerce deadline, the San Antonio Spurs dedicated to a rebuild. They traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics for Romeo Langford, Josh Richardson, a first-round decide, and a decide swap.
On the time, White was a high quality two-way guard, though there have been considerations that he was merely a very good participant on a foul workforce. After becoming a member of the Celtics, he continued to blossom, changing into the most effective perimeter defenders in all the league.
Greater than three years after the commerce, White has a Finals ring and Olympic gold medal, and the Spurs efficiently tanked their means into drafting Victor Wembanyama, so the deal clearly labored out for either side, though White had combined emotions when the deal was first made.
The Spurs chosen White twenty ninth total within the 2017 draft and instantly began investing in him, permitting him to blossom within the G League as he ready for NBA reps. He, like so many different gamers, rapidly developed a rapport with head coach Gregg Popovich, which made being traded quite troublesome.
“Pop walks into the room, and he’s like, ‘Uh, we traded you.’ And I’m like, ‘Shut up, Pop,’” White mirrored throughout a current episode of his podcast. “Pop calls me, ‘What room are you in?’ It’s the commerce deadline, so I’m like, ‘Oh, the place am I going?’ He knocks on the door, sits down in my room, and goes, ‘Hey, uh, we traded you.’”
White, in fact, admitted that he felt betrayed by the commerce, and took it as a rejection, though Popovich was fast to inform him that, if something, it could solely enhance his NBA profession.
“He goes, ‘We wouldn’t f— you. We despatched you to Boston,’” White mentioned. “I simply performed that summer season with JT, JB, and Good. So I knew a bunch of individuals there. He’s like, ‘You’re going to be comfy. They’ll sort of convey you alongside.’ And I’m like, ‘All proper, yeah, that’s cool.’ I assumed I’d match nicely there.”
Within the 2019 FIBA Cup, Staff USA, coached by Popovich, was headlined by Celtics Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Good, so White had already performed in the same system to the one Brad Stevens had carried out in Bean City.
White broke out as an All-Defensive participant and has rapidly develop into a fan-favorite across the league for his team-first playstyle.
On the time White was traded, he and Dejounte Murray had been seen as the way forward for the Spurs, so Pop doubtless thought he owed it to his star to present an evidence.
Nevertheless, even with non-star gamers, he would take the time to have troublesome talks, which isn’t one thing each coach or govt is prepared to do.
Keith Langford solely ever performed in two NBA video games, and was minimize from a number of American and European groups, though his run-in with Popovich, who minimize him twice in 2007, left a mark.
“I did have a number of experiences with a number of groups,” he advised The Athletic. “And he was the one one which made me really feel like I used to be part of one thing the place I used to be being paid consideration to.”
Popovich constructed his dynasty in San Antonio on core tenets like belief, loyalty, and self-discipline, but it surely stood out to gamers how he handled fringe roster guys the very same as he handled Tim Duncan.
“I believe you must have accountability,” Popovich advised the FIBA employees in 2016. For us, the factor that works finest is whole, brutal, between-the-eyes honesty. I by no means attempt to trick a participant or manipulate them, inform them one thing that I’m going to have to alter subsequent week.”
Former Spurs like White, Steve Kerr, Ime Udoka, Kyle Anderson, and DeMar DeRozan can all credit score Popovich for his or her careers persevering with to blossom after pit stops in San Antonio, and Popovich, because the central determine, may be thanked for that.
