Celtics Notes: White, Brown, Harper Jr., Olympics

Derrick Wit had to change his summer vacation plans when he received an offer to join the U.S. Olympic team after Kawhi Leonard‘s injury, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Instead of traveling to Cabo San Lucas, White and his family are spending two weeks in Paris, but he won’t be able to relax until he’s finished trying to win a gold medal.

“I just had to change my plans really quickly. I was super excited,” White talked about the invitation. “When I got that call, I changed my focus. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Together with Celts teammates Jayson Tatum And Jrue vacationWhite will attempt the rare feat of winning an NBA title and Olympic gold in a matter of weeks. In between those accomplishments, he signed a four-year, $125.9 million extension that keeps him under contract through the 2028-29 season.

“I’m excited,” said White. “I wanted to stay in Boston and I was able to do it earlier so I don’t have to think about it or talk about it too much. I’m just happy that I can stay in Boston as long as I can.”

More about the Celtics:

• White told Himmelsbach that Jaylen Brown called him to explain the comments he made on social media about not being considered for an Olympic spot. Brown said he is happy for White, but expressed frustration with the selection process. “Jaylen called me and I was like, ‘Yeah, you didn’t have to call me. I know it’s okay.'” said White. “He called me and said he wanted to clear things up and I told him we’re all good. Never had a problem or issue with us, that’s for sure. He’s a great player and I’ve never said anything bad about JB.”
• Ron Harper Jr. hopes to make a strong impression with the Celtics after signing a non-guaranteed training camp deal earlier this month, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Harper played in 10 games total on a two-way contract with Toronto before being released in December after a season-ending shoulder injury. “I felt really good before the injury,” he said. “I had some shoulder issues and tore my labrum, had surgery in December and wasn’t able to play until June. I’m still trying to get into the groove. It’s been a long process. It’s the longest time I’ve been away from basketball since I started playing basketball. It’s really important to get back into the groove, but I feel like I’m doing well.”
• Coach Joe Mazzulla will have to be careful not to overtax his three Olympians, MassLive’s Brian Robb said in a mailbag column. Tatum, Holiday and White had little time to rest after the NBA Finals ended, and they have only a few weeks off between the conclusion of the Olympics and the start of training camp. Robb expects Sam Hauser And Payton-Pritchard to take on a bigger role early in the season.