Celtics’ Derrick White Joins Exclusive Company With Historic Block

Boston Celtics star Derrick White is one of the best defenders in the NBA, especially among guards. Look no further than his historic seven-block game against the Utah Jazz at the end of December, which tied an NBA record for most blocks in a single game by a guard.

That performance wasn’t a fluke, either, as White’s been swatting a ton of shots lately. After notching three blocks against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, he now has 15 blocks over his last five games.

With 54 blocks in 35 games this year, White is averaging a career-high 1.5 blocks per game.

White’s one of the best shot-blocking guards in the game today, not to mention NBA history. His third swat against the Nuggets was the 500th of his career, making him just the fourth player under 6-foot-5 in NBA history to reach that milestone, according to Celtics Stats.

Derrick White blocked the 500th shot of his career last night. He is the fourth player under 6-foot-5 in NBA history to reach that mark, joining Jrue Holiday, Dennis Johnson and Dwyane Wade.

— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) January 8, 2026

White, who’s listed at 6-foot-4, joined Dennis Johnson, Dwyane Wade and former Celtics teammate Jrue Holiday.

The 31-year-old veteran has already made two NBA All-Defensive Teams in his career, and he’ll likely make a third this year. He’s never won Defensive Player of the Year, but he should receive votes for the third straight season as well.

White’s a big reason why Boston has allowed the second-fewest points in the NBA this year. He’s blocked at least one shot in 11 straight games, so he’ll look to extend that streak against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Friday night.