Celtics Guard Derrick White Earns 2026 NBA Sportsmanship Award in Peer-Voted Honor
There are superstars who demand the spotlight, and then there are players who simply do the work, quietly building a legacy of respect. Derrick White falls firmly into the latter category. After a whirlwind year that included an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal, the Boston Celtics guard has added another piece of hardware to his trophy case. The league announced that White is the winner of the 2025-26 NBA Sportsmanship Award, taking home the prestigious Joe Dumars Trophy.
For a guy who had to fight for every inch of his basketball career, this recognition hits differently. It wasn’t handed out by media members or broadcast analysts. It was voted on by the guys he goes to battle against every single night.
From Division II to the Pinnacle of the NBA
To understand why this award means so much to White, you have to look at where he started. He wasn’t a highly touted high school recruit. He didn’t have blue-blood college programs knocking down his door. White began his collegiate journey as a Division II athlete at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He eventually transferred to Colorado, proved he belonged, and heard his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Even then, the grind didn’t stop. While coming up through the San Antonio Spurs organization, White spent time in the G League, ultimately winning a championship there. He learned the value of culture, unselfishness, and pure basketball fundamentals.
When he arrived in Boston, he brought that exact mentality with him. Whether he is drawing a crucial charge, making the extra pass, or locking down the opposing team’s best perimeter threat, White plays the game the right way. He is the ultimate glue guy, and his peers across the league have clearly taken notice of his consummate professionalism.
How White Captured the Joe Dumars Trophy
The voting process for the NBA Sportsmanship Award reveals just how deeply respected White is among his contemporaries. Each of the NBA’s 30 teams nominates one player, and the list is narrowed down to six finalists—one from each of the league’s divisions. From there, the players take over.
A total of 386 NBA players cast their ballots this season. White secured 20 percent of the first-place votes to claim the overall victory. Interestingly, Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell actually received slightly more first-place votes at nearly 22 percent, but the aggregate scoring system pushed White to the top of the podium.
The finalist group was packed with highly regarded veterans. Harrison Barnes of the San Antonio Spurs and Al Horford of the Golden State Warriors tied for third, each pulling in 19 percent of the first-place votes. Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo rounded out the top five with 11 percent, while Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—the only repeat finalist from last year’s ballot—finished sixth.
Continuing a Proud Boston Tradition
Winning the Joe Dumars Trophy is becoming a bit of a tradition in the Boston locker room. White becomes the second straight Celtics player to earn the honor, following in the footsteps of Jrue Holiday, who took home the award last season.
It speaks volumes about the culture that head coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics front office have built. You don’t win championships with just raw talent; you win with guys who prioritize the team over their own egos. White and Holiday are the poster children for that philosophy. They set the tone for how the game should be played, and that level of mutual respect trickles down to the rest of the roster.
Contextualizing the NBA Awards Season
The announcement of White winning the Sportsmanship Award comes in the middle of a busy postseason awards rollout. He joins a growing list of distinguished winners this spring. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama recently made history as the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, while his teammate Keldon Johnson secured the Sixth Man of the Year honors. Out West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the Clutch Player of the Year voting.
While those awards celebrate statistical dominance and late-game heroics, the Sportsmanship Award highlights the human element of the game. It honors the ideals of fair play, integrity, and ethical behavior on the court. For Derrick White, it serves as the perfect capstone to a brilliant stretch of basketball. He has the ring, he has the gold medal, and now, he has the ultimate sign of respect from the very players who share the hardwood with him.
