NBA champion Derrick White joins Team USA to replace injured Kawhi Leonard

Derrick White was visiting his family in Denver, Colorado when he received the call from the men’s basketball team saying he was being summoned to play for his country in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. According to the Celtics star, he was planning on spending this week at a desert resort on the sea, specifically in Cabo, Mexico. 

Now, he’s already landed in Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf and is getting ready to represent Team USA on the sport’s biggest stage in France. Four days before his arrival on Sunday, he had been notified that Kawhi Leonard needed to be replaced as he continues to recover from his knee injury.

Derrick already knew from before that he was considered a top candidate for a place in the roster, but he didn’t receive the official call as the Clippers player had already reported to training camp and was feeling well during the squad’s first practices in Las Vegas.

Derrick White has joined the #USABMNT in Abu Dhabi! pic.twitter.com/K7LoEJW3aK

— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2024

“I kind of figured it out when everybody else figured out when [ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski] tweeted it, and then me and my agent were talking about it a little bit through the summer,” White revealed. “But I had assumed that Kawhi was going to continue. But then when I seen all that happened and I got the call, I was ready to go.”

The 30-year-old is currently coming off one of his best campaigns of his eight-year career in the NBA, as he averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists and contributed to conquering his first-ever championship title with the Celtics.

Now he joins Boston teammates Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum in the Middle East, as well as his former team adviser Jeff Van Gundy, who is now an assistant coach with Team USA.

The Celtics forward assures that White can provide something that very few athletes can give to this team in search of the gold medal in Paris. “I haven’t seen D-White since the parade; so excited to have him here,” Tatum shared. “He’ll bring some championship DNA to this team.”

Grant Hill explained why sending Kawhi home was in the “best interest” of the U.S. men’s national team, as well as the Clippers’ next season

Letting Leonard go wasn’t an easy decision, as he’d showed a lot of promise and improvement during his first week training with Team USA. However, iy still seemed as he wasn’t entirely recovered from the injury that kept him out of the Clippers‘ final games of the season in April, and USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill made the final call.

“We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest, but also in the Clippers’ and Kawhi’s best interest, to move into a different direction,” he told the press last week. “We tried. I think we all tried, and we gave it a valiant effort, and unfortunately, we have to move forward.”

According to the former player, he explained why this would eventually be the best solution for both the squad’s gold-medal aspirations, as well as his future with the Los Angeles franchise. “We did. Ultimately, he was sent home, but we were in conversation with the Clippers on that,” Hill revealed.

“He wanted to be here like all these guys want to be here,” he continued. “And we don’t take that lightly at all. It speaks to the program and the opportunity. Personally speaking, I know what it’s like to want to do something and your body is just not right.”