Celtics guard Derrick White earns All-Defensive first-team honors
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Derrick White reaches in to try to steal the ball from Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during a game at TD Garden. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Derrick White is officially a member of the All-Defensive first team for the first time in his career.

The Celtics guard, who made the second team in 2022-23 and 2023-24, joined Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson and Rudy Gobert on this year’s top squad.

The 2025-26 @Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team!

Rudy Gobert
Chet Holmgren
Ausar Thompson
Victor Wembanyama
Derrick White pic.twitter.com/VQPnTAEZpy

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2026

He received 58 first-team votes and 30 second-team votes, edging out Toronto’s Scottie Barnes by 18 points to claim the final spot.

White, 31, led all guards in the NBA with 1.3 blocks per game, racking up the most in a season (98) since Dwyane Wade in 2008-09. The 6-foot-4-inch White also added 1.1 steals per night and stabilized a unit that allowed the fewest points per game (107.2) in the NBA.

A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Defensive Team.

The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nzi2CGhq3T

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 22, 2026

With Jayson Tatum out for most of the season, and Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all heading elsewhere, White embraced even more responsibility and handled the additional spotlight well.

Neemias Queta received one first-place vote and six second-place votes to finish 19th overall with 8 points. Jaylen Brown was right behind him with two first-place votes and three second-place votes for 7 points.



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