Boston Celtics
“Never thought I’d have a beer. Never thought I would drink a beer, honestly.”
On the same night that Tom Brady headlined the guest list for Tuesday’s taping of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” another Boston sports star also made an appearance on set in New York City.
Celtics guard Derrick White spent some time chatting with Fallon on a variety of topics during Tuesday’s St. Patrick’s Day episode — including playing basketball on a Nerf hoop as a kid, his own experiences with fatherhood, and chipping his tooth during Boston’s championship-clinching win over the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
White even shared a pint with Fallon, with the reigning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month promoting his new collaboration with Sam Adams: (Derrick) White Ale.
“It’s insane. Never thought I’d have a beer. Never thought I would drink a beer, honestly,” White said. “Now I have one.”
White’s brew stands as one of the featured libations in Sam Adams’ new “Our City. Our Beer” lineup — with Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, former New England Patriots wideout Julian Edelman, and Boston Bruins legend Zdeno Chara also getting their own beers as part of the brewery’s announcement.
White had plenty to smile about on June 17, 2024, when the Celtics beat the Mavericks, 106-88, to secure Boston’s sought-after 18th championship.
Unfortunately for the Celtics guard, that enthusiasm was marred by the damage doled out to his face, as his front teeth were chipped and two others were knocked loose during that victory.
Even though he had his teeth fixed in time for the Celtics’ parade by way of a temporary bridge, more work was needed to permanently fix his smile before the 2024-25 NBA season got underway.
Sure enough, one of White’s false teeth was knocked loose again in March 2025 after 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. inadvertently hit him in the face.
Speaking to Fallon on Tuesday, White acknowledged that he glued that dislodged chiclet back into place and finished that game against the 76ers.
“I got to the game, I get hit in the mouth, and I had a bridge on at the time, and it came out,” White said. “So I just picked it up and went straight to the back. … I’m not a hockey player, so I had to figure out a way to glue it back together or figure it out.
“So they just kind of glued it and then I put a mouthpiece on and then played the rest of the game, and eventually went to the dentist the next day.”
As far as his dentist’s reaction the following day?
“He said, ‘I told you to come in a week ago,’” White acknowledged.
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