Derrick White Talks Beer, Boston Fans, and NBA's Best Sneakers

Derrick White is celebrating Boston sports fans with the help of Samuel Adams.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White has teamed up with Samuel Adams in honor of Boston fans. | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Boston sports fans make home games a party for their teams and a nightmare for visiting opponents. Samuel Adams, the Boston-born pioneer of craft beer, is celebrating the city with a limited-edition launch that brings together four of its iconic sports.

Derrick White, Garrett Crochet, Julian Edelman, and Zdeno Chara all worked on the "Our City, Our Beer" Variety Pack. Along with the brew, there is a matching apparel collection available now. Plus, White's apparel collection launches in April.

The Variety Pack includes the (Derrick) White Ale, Crochet's Pale Ale, Julian Edel-Brau Lager, and Big Z Pilsner. Designed to be a four-sport, four-season 12-pack, with each beer also rotating on draft during the corresponding sport's season.

Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI spoke with White about the energy in Boston, his partnership with Samuel Adams, and the best footwear in the NBA.

Julian Edelman, Zdeno Chara, Garrett Crochet, and Derrick White for Samuel Adams. | Samuel Adams

How excited were you to team up with Samuel Adams on the "Our City, Our Beer" Variety Pack?

I was super excited. I think me and Sam Adams have had a really good relationship these past few years, and I've done a lot of great things to them, and so, for me to continue that partnership with them, and now launch this, 'Our City, Our Beer,' kind of brings Boston together.

And it brings all these Boston's legends that I'm grateful to be a part of, and I was really excited for the idea, and now that it's coming to is gonna be here soon. I'm super excited.

What can you tell us about your White Ale and the inspiration behind the brew?

I got a little citrusy flavor, and I enjoy it. I've heard some good reviews from people who tried it last year. I didn't have much say on the making of the beer, but I will say that I do enjoy it, and it's a great beer to have a nice, relaxing time to crack one open after a win.

Derrick White consoles a young fan after falling on him at TD Garden. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Where does Boston rank among sports cities when it comes to fandom?

It's got to be the best. Every sport, they show up for every game. They're passionate. They care about winning. They got a long line of champions, and high levels of talent have been in these uniforms. You can just tell every game, even if it's a preseason game, how much passion they have about the Celtics.

When I go to the other teams games, like the Red Sox, and the Patriots, and the Bruins, you can tell how much passion they have and high expectations when you put on a Boston uniform, and I definitely show you that love and that loyalty throughout it, through all the ups and the downs of the season.

Derrick White wears the Nike Sabrina 3. | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Switching gears to footwear, what has factored into your decision to play almost exclusively in Nike Sabrina shoes for the past few seasons?

Yeah, I've been with Nike my whole career. So I've kind of gone through a couple of shoes. I went through the LeBron 20s. I really liked those for a few years, and then I began wearing the Sabrinas for the last two years.

Honestly, the Sabrina 3 might be one of my favorite shoes of all time. They're so comfortable, and the colorways that she comes out with and everything, I just think they're a great shoe, and so I've really enjoyed the Sabrina 3s, and they've been a great shoe to go get out there on the court with.

If you could design a colorway, what would it look like?

I think I got to put a little green in there for the Celtics. Maybe a little gold for CU, and we even got a gold jersey this year, so that'll go well with that.

So those two would probably be in there for sure. Maybe I kind of like grey shoes, so I might do a grey shoe. Grey shoe with some green and some gold, and I'll make it work.

Kicks On SI's mock Derrick White's Nike Sabrina 3 colorway. | Nike

Last question: Which NBA player has the best signature sneaker line?

That's tough. I'm gonna go with... I mean, I like Books [Nike Book 1 and Nike Book 2]. I like the Book. It's a little different. You've got different colorways. And the shoe kind of looks a little different. So I do like the Book, so I'm gonna give it to him [Devin Booker].