D-White’s reaction to Tatum’s ‘favorite teammate’ admission is gold originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — Jayson Tatum-and-Derrick White joint press conferences have become appointment viewing, and Tuesday night didn’t disappoint.
The Boston Celtics co-stars — who shared a podium together following a preseason game in Abu Dhabi and a late-October win over the Detroit Pistons — decided to tag team their media availability Tuesday after toppling the previously-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers in a 120-117 win at TD Garden.
And it only took one question for things to go off the rails.
After Tatum chided White for bringing his new Sam Adams beer — (Derrick) White Ale — to the podium, a reporter asked Tatum about Al Horford and noted that Tatum in the past has referred to the veteran big man as his “favorite teammate.”
That didn’t sit well with White, who immediately snapped his head toward Tatum and caused the Celtics star to burst out laughing.
Tatum tried to do some damage control with White, explaining to his jilted teammate that he and Horford have “been through more s— together,” but White (jokingly) wasn’t having it.
“D-White is like my second-favorite teammate,” Tatum said with a grin.
Tatum has in fact labeled Horford “my favorite teammate I’ve ever had,” and the two have in fact been through a lot of “s—” together: Tatum’s rookie season in 2017-18 was Horford’s second in Boston, and the duo are entering their fifth season playing together. White didn’t join the party until February 2022 via trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Tatum and White have become fast friends over the past two-plus years, though, and appear to have started a new tradition as podium pals.
“It’s like an unwritten rule,” Tatum explained during their last dual interview after playing the Pistons. “We’re supposed to do media together, ever since the interaction with the guy who thought I had a fake watch in Abu Dhabi. It’s like we’re kind of bonded post-game media now.”
Check out the video below to watch Tatum and White’s full (and very entertaining) press conference:
