By Dr. Robert Kelly, D.M.D.
The Mountain Times
It has been almost 20 years since I graduated from dental school in Boston and many memories and experiences are still vivid from my four years living in New England. One memory that stands out in recent thought is the fanatical and undying loyalty the fans had for their professional sports teams in New England, particularly the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and of course the Boston Red Sox. Rooting for the Red Sox was particularly exhilarating – and heartbreaking – whenever they played the New York Yankees.
Recently the Boston Celtics won the NBA basketball championship, adding banner number 18 (the most of any NBA team) to the rafters of the new Boston Garden. They had one player on their roster to thank for sacrificing a part of his body – his teeth– for a clutch play in the NBA finals. Celtics point guard Derrick White had to pay a quick visit to his dentist after diving for a loose ball and smashing his face onto the court in the process. As if this wasn’t enough, an opponent, Dallas Mavericks’ big man Dereck Lively II fell on top of him, adding insult to injury and the crazy coincidence of two Dereck’s. Oh, and by the way, Dereck Lively II is not a small man, standing at 7’1”: that’s a big guy to have fall on top of your head!
Despite the injury that caused one broken and two loose teeth, Derrick White stayed in the game and finished. He promptly paid a visit to his dentist where a quick temporary fix was delivered. And the rest is history, as the Celtics went on to defeat the Mavericks for the NBA championship. As you can see from this picture, White was all smiles with the win, despite his future at the dentist. He is set to make over $20 million next year with his 2024-2025 contract with the Celtics so he’ll be able to afford it, and perhaps a well-fitted mouth guard as well!
Derrick White embodies the true spirit of New England sports fans. As one fan posted in response to his picture “he’s a hockey player at point guard. He’s genuinely willing to get his face smashed in to accomplish the team goal. Maybe missing a tooth, didn’t miss a play. What a dude.”
Yes, what a dude.