With seven games left in the regular season for the Boston Celtics, they are currently holding steady as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Throughout the year, a guy who has helped them emerge as one of the top teams in the league is Derrick White, and ahead of the postseason, he has found the spotlight shining on him.
White has struggled with his efficiency from the floor (he’s hitting just 39.1% of his shots this year), but he’s made his usual impact on the defensive side of the ball, which has helped him remain as effective as ever. Beyond that, White is also a leader for Boston, as he typically keeps a cool head in heated moments. With that in mind, White was recently announced as one of the finalists for the 2025-26 Sportsmanship Award.
Finalists for the 2025-26 Sportsmanship Award:
Derrick White – Boston Celtics
Al Horford – Golden State Warriors
TJ McConnell – Indiana Pacers
Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Harrison Barnes – San Antonio Spurs
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) March 31, 2026
NBA games rarely get as chippy as they used to, but White is rarely at the center of the action if that does end up happening. Celtics fans will also be quick to note that old friend Al Horford, who has spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Golden State Warriors, is also a finalist for this award.
Sportsmanship gets overlooked in the modern world of sports, and while it isn’t the flashiest award, you can bet that it would mean a lot to White to come out on top in this race. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, the Celtics will look to get back in the win column when they square off against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
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