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 date viewing, and Tuesday night did not disappoint.
The Boston Celtics co-stars — who shared a podium following a pre-season game in Abu Dhabi and a late-October win over the Detroit Pistons — decided to tag his media availability Tuesday later knocking off the previously undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers in a 120-117 victory at TD Garden.
And it only took one question for things to go away.
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 has in the past called the veteran big man his “favorite teammate. .”
That didn’t sit well with White, who immediately snapped his head at Tatum, causing the Celtics star to burst out laughing.
Tatum tried to do some damage control with White, explaining to his dumped teammate that he and Horford had “been through more s— together,” but White (jokingly) wasn’t having it.
“D-White is like my second favorite teammate,” Tatum said with a laugh.
Tatum actually labeled Horford “my favorite teammate I’ve ever had,” and the two have actually been through a lot of “s—” together: Tatum’s 2017-18 rookie season was Horford’s second in Boston, and the duo is entering their fifth season playing together. White did not join the team until February 2022 via a trade from the San Antonio Spurs.
Tatum and White have become fast friends over the past two-plus years, however, and seem to have started a new tradition as podium buddies.
“It’s like an unwritten rule,” Tatum explained during their latest double interview after playing the Pistons. “We have to do media together, since the interaction with the guy who thought I had a fake watch in Abu Dhabi. It’s like we’re kind of linked post-match media now.”
Check out the video below to watch Tatum and White’s hilarious press conference:
