Over the years, the San Antonio Spurs have had some great players suit up for their organization. However, for the past few years, they’ve been in a bit of a playoff drought and, in turn, have traded away some solid players in an attempt to rebuild their roster.
The Dejounte Murray trade to the Atlanta Hawks is perhaps the most notable in recent memory. However, the Spurs also traded Murray’s backcourt-mate Derrick White in a deal with the Boston Celtics. And now, White is helping lead the Celtics in their quest to win a championship, concocting a serious All-Star case for himself in the process.
During a recent appearance on “The Old Man & The Three With JJ Redick and Tommy Alter,” White revealed a hilarious story about head coach Gregg Popovich from his rookie season with the Spurs. (H/t Nick Moyle of the San Antonio Express-News)
“I’m always thankful for Pop. Every time I see him, I tell him I love him and that I’m thankful,” White said. “But when I was a rookie, after my first preseason game I thought I played pretty good. And then I seen this report where it’s like, ‘What’s Derrick’s role this year?’ And he said, ‘Get towels and water for the guys.’ And I’m like oh, that’s how it’s gonna be this year.”
White spent most of his rookie season with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League squad, but now, he’s one of the best defensive guards in the NBA and has taken massive leaps on offense, too.
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