In a league full of superstars and highlight-reel plays, sometimes the quietest contributors make the biggest noise. That's exactly the case for Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, who has once again been voted the most underrated player in the NBA by his peers, according to a recent player survey conducted by The Athletic.

White tied with Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson for the top spot, proving that even after what some considered his "worst season" in Boston, the respect from fellow players hasn't wavered. "Something that is crystal clear: Players believe the Boston Celtics' Derrick White still has not received his due respect," The Athletic notes. "He is among the leaders here year in and year out. In 2024, he tied for the win with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Jalen Williams. Last year, he finished second, trailing only the Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham. And now, he's won again."

"To me, he's one of the most important players in the league," said one unnamed player who participated in the survey. "Just doing it on both ends. I didn't know how much he had offensively."

Another player went even further, comparing White's impact to that of his more celebrated teammate. "Everyone is trying to say Jaylen Brown is an MVP candidate. They're wrong. White has actually been the biggest reason they're so good this season. He does everything — offense, defense, leadership — for them."

The voting was tight, with 89 different players receiving at least one first-place vote out of 151 cast. But the recognition didn't stop with White. Both Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown and former Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard also cracked the survey's top six vote-getters, highlighting the depth of Boston's roster.

"Their upper-tier finishes have something to do with the Celtics overcoming Jayson Tatum's absence for most of the season to defy expectations and finish with a 56-26 regular-season record," The Athletic explained.

For fans and gear enthusiasts alike, White's recognition is a reminder that sometimes the most valuable players aren't the ones filling the stat sheet — they're the ones filling the gaps. And that kind of all-around excellence is exactly what we celebrate here.