"Bro could peel a mango" - NBA fans react to Derrick White's chipped tooth after he takes nasty tumble in first half

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White took a nasty fall in the first half of Monday's Game 5 NBA Finals clash against the Dallas Mavericks. The play resulted in White sustaining a broken front tooth, with his viral post-injury photo sparking humorous NBA fan reactions.

White's injury occurred when he dove for a loose ball in the second quarter. He smashed his face into the floor, with Mavericks 7-foot-1 rookie center Dereck Lively II falling on top of him.

Despite severely chipping his front tooth, White stayed in the game. The ABC broadcast later showed a clip of him smiling, with a still of his broken-tooth smile quickly going viral on social media.

Afterward, many fans on X/Twitter cracked jokes about his new look.

"Bro could peel a mango," @imdannydope said.

"Bro looks possessed with the black eyes," @dillybar2145 said.

"Jump scare," @Lindsayyy1243 said.

"This image is cursed," @PunksWorldd said.

However, others noted that White could easily afford a tooth replacement and may have needed dental work regardless.

"Don't worry, championship money will fix it after that faceplant," @SpookyBOS said.

"He needed new teeth anyway," @neverbeenequal said.

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Jaylen Brown trolls Derrick White for chipped tooth

Among those who took playful shots at Derrick White following him sustaining a chipped tooth was his Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown.

ABC's third quarter mic'd up segment featured Brown reacting to White's broken tooth. The three-time All-Star joked with White that the injury made him unattractive.

"Oooh, you sure is ugly," Brown said.

Nevertheless, White's production wasn't hindered, as he continued serving as an elite two-way role player. He finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals, one block and four 3-pointers on 40.0% shooting. Meanwhile, the Celtics secured a 106-88 home win to clinch this year's title with a 4-1 series victory.

Monday's outing marked White's fourth time scoring 14-plus points in five finals outings. Over five contests, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.4 3-pointers per game on 38.9% shooting.

Ahead of Game 5, White spoke about his and his team's desire to make the necessary sacrifices to win a championship.

"Whatever it takes to win ... that's what we've been doing this whole postseason. So whatever it takes," White said.

In White's case, that ended up meaning sacrificing a tooth. However, it was likely worth it for him given he secured the first championship of his seven-year career.

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