"You go. This is on you" - Derrick White credits Manu Ginobili for giving him confidence as an NBA player

Unless a player is a highly-touted draft pick, it can be difficult for rookies to get going in the NBA, which is the exact experience Derrick White went through.

With scarce to no playing time limiting their chances of getting some real-time repetitions at the real thing, their exposure to NBA play is typically restricted to practices, shootarounds and the occasional garbage time minutes.

White experienced that during his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Picked 29th overall in the 2017 draft, he played in only 17 games and averaged 8.2 minutes per game. Given the circumstances, he struggled to find his rhythm and demonstrate his abilities on the court, averaging 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in his first season as a professional.

But as most hoop fans know, the Spurs have a knack for developing young talent and White was no exception. Recognizing the potential in the 6’4″ guard, Spurs legend Manu Ginobili deliberately handed over the ball at the end of a quarter, eager to see what White was capable of.

White learned from the Argentinian hoop wizard

White entered the NBA during Ginobili’s 15th and final season in the league. Already 40 at the time, he was no longer as athletic or quick as he once was. However, he still had the savvy to make shots from difficult angles, which was why Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich always trusted him with the ball at the end of quarters; he could either create his own shot or find an open teammate.

White, though, recalled a moment when he began to play more, which in turn allowed him to gain a little more confidence.

“I remember the first time I was really playing. I was playing against the Warriors. Tony was out, DeJounte was out and Patty was in foul trouble. We had no other point guard. I was like the fifth string,” Derrick narrated.

With Pop having no other recourse, he called for White to go in.

“It was the end of the quarter. I was kind of standing there and I looked at Manu, like, ‘You want the ball? End of the quarter?'” he continued. “And he was just like, ‘You go. This is on you.'”

White, of course, did not need to be told twice. He received the ball and, with gusto, completed a spectacular play that brought the Spurs’ bench to its feet.

“It was a play Manu always runs, but he let me run it that time. I was able to make a play — make a spin and shoot a layup,” White related. “And it was big for my confidence. Manu trusted me not to turn it over. Manu believed in me to make a play.”

A little confidence can go a long way

White finished that game with 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Although the Spurs lost that game to the Kevin Durant-Stephen Curry Warriors, his confidence grew from that play and game.

“That was huge. Like, Slow-Mo (Kyle Anderson) came up to me after and said, ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s open gym pickup — this is basketball,'” White recalled. “It was just a little moment, but if Manu hadn’t told me to just go, I wouldn’t have been able to register that in my mind.”

One thing that rookies have to learn once they reach the NBA is that, once they get past the glitz and glamour of NBA games, it’s still just a basketball game.

White learned that lesson that day and hasn’t looked back ever since.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“You go. This is on you” – Derrick White credits Manu Ginobili for giving him confidence as an NBA player

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