For the second time in NBA history, a member of the Boston Celtics is the winner of the league's annual Sportsmanship Award. Last season, former Celtics guard Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy. This season, current Celtics guard Derrick White received the honor, earning the second-most first-place votes of those in the running and by far the most second-place votes.
It's no surprise that White was honored by his peers, as the fourth-year Celtic — like Holiday — is respected across the Association. He was first nominated by the Celtics, selected as a finalist by a panel of league executives, and then picked by fellow players as the ultimate winner.
Your 2025-26 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner is Derrick White: pic.twitter.com/s74qrDXRUS
Since the 1995-96 season, the NBA Sportsmanship Award has been handed out annually to a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, per NBA PR.
The Celtics, especially star forward Jayson Tatum, have previously begged White to get a technical foul, exemplifying how much of a true sportsman the veteran guard is. White finally obliged this season by achieving two techs during the 2025-26 regular season. It only took him nine seasons to do so.
Derrick White jokes that Jayson Tatum is still waiting on him to get his first technical:“JT told me he doesn’t respect me until I get a technical.”He later teases Jordan Walsh for being the only player to get ejected during Summer League.(Via the White Noise Podcast) pic.twitter.com/9WbVhYHFAL
While White will enjoy the Joe Dumars Trophy for his professionalism on the court, he's still on the hunt for another trophy: the Larry O'Brien. The journey for that piece of sacred championship hardware continues on Friday night when the Celtics face the rival Philadelphia 76ers on the road for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
Boston took Game 1 and Philly responded with a Game 2 win, so White and company will aim for a tiebreaking victory in South Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Derrick White becomes second NBA Sportsmanship Award winner in Celtics history