Derrick White, The Living Antithesis Of 'Load Management,' Takes Games Off Only For The Birth Of His Kids

One of the worst traits of modern NBA players is that they take multiple days of for no good reason. Derrick White isn’t one of those players.

The Boston Celtics guard isn’t like most players. He hustles, rarely complains about calls, doesn’t flop, and plays a solid all-around game. He’s also not a fan of taking many days off.

Since joining the Celtics in the 2021-22 season, White has had the opportunity to play in 157 games for Boston. During that time frame, he’s missed a grand total of two games, which includes tonight’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

Why is he out of the lineup, you may ask? White is about to become a father for the second time.

The last time White took a game off was Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. Most NBA players don’t have that level of dedication to their families, so it’s rather refreshing to see White be this loyal.

The Rest Of The NBA Should Follow Derrick White's Example On Taking Days Off

Taking nights off to welcome your kids into the world is perhaps the most valid non-injury reason to sit for a game. However, few NBA players come up with valid reasons to take nights off.

Oftentime, the best athletes in the league take multiple nights off in a season to be able “rest” and ensure “peak performance.” The goal is to ensure players are at their best once the end of the season and playoffs roll around.

Los Angeles Lakers stars Anthony Davis (center) and LeBron James (right) are some of the biggest abusers of the load management trend. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

While there’s some merit to that approach, “load management” got so out of hand the NBA had to restructure its rules to make players actually play (a shocking concept, I know). Turns out, lots of people didn’t like paying hundreds of dollars to watch the stars absentmindedly cheer on their teammates in street clothes.

Thankfully, there’s a least one guy in the NBA that not only understands the importance of family, but who plays every chance he gets. If even half of the NBA’s stars lived with this attitude, the league would have solved one of its biggest problems.

Now, we just need to get the NBA to change its court designs for the In-Season Tournament.