Boston Celtics guard Derrick White recalled how Jayson Tatum jokingly told him that he needed to receive a technical foul before his NBA career could earn his respect.

White went his first eight NBA seasons without being assessed a technical foul, playing 579 games before finally receiving one against the Detroit Pistons on October 26, 2025.

According to White, Tatum had challenged him to get a technical foul shortly before the incident.

“No techs my whole career. It started from JT. He’s like, ‘You have to get a technical foul or I won’t respect your career.’ And then a week later I got a technical.”

White explained that he received the technical after directing some words toward an official during the game in Detroit.

However, he did not expect the referee to penalize him.

“It was in Detroit. I didn’t think he was actually going to give me the tech, but I just said a couple choice words. Ever since then I haven’t been close.”

The incident came just three games into White’s ninth NBA season, ending a lengthy stretch without a technical foul.