The Celtics have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in a row.
They’re playing the Indiana Pacers at home to kick off Game 1 of the series at the TD Garden, where a group of Derrick White die-hard fans will be counting on the point guard to help to pull off a win.
“His game-winning bucket in Miami really sealed it,” said Ricky Krishnan, a self-described Derrick White fan. “I think that’s when the legend of D-White was born.”
That’s also where a cult-like following White began to grow at the Garden.
“Derrick is sort of like the connecting glue for the whole team,” said Krishnan. “[He] seems to always make the right decisions. But more importantly, he seems like a great guy.”
It’s those qualities that really gets Krishnan going at the games.
“Any time the Celtics have the ball on offense, you just be quiet. When it’s defense time, that’s when you know you got to step it up,” he said.
The 50-year-old’s energy often gets him on the Garden’s jumbotron. But it’s also his eccentric hair, his majestic horseshoe mustache, and the Derrick White T-shirts he wears that make him stand out.
“Everybody was asking me whether I was D-White’s father, his grandfather, his son, his brother, and simply because I had my big hair and he had big hair then, too,” said Krishnan.
But then White shaved his head, and somehow became a better player.
“Fro D-White reminds me a little bit more of what I got going on here, but bald D-White has been a player on a next level,” he added.
“When I first saw that he went bald, I was like, ‘What is he doing?’ I see him out there and he’s just, wow. He should’ve done that last year,” said Celtics fan Melvin Matos.
“He is a really versatile player,” said another fan, Srah Ikerd. “He’s got a lot of heart.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, and Banner 18 is coming to Boston,” said Dan Fahgy to White.
“Bald D-White” is catching on, thanks, in part, to Krishnan, who’s printed dozens of shirts with White’s bald head on it, catching the attention of White himself.
“Shout out to him,” White said of Krishnan. “There’s a lot of different faces I’ve gotten on shirts, that are funny. I like it. It’s always cool see him, and, I mean, he always has great energy, so that’s the type of guy I like to be around.”
If the Celtics win the championship this year, Krishnan said he’ll cut his hair and his mustache.
Sarah Wilson is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
