I wouldn’t call myself much of a sports fan, and still there is a lot to like about this piece profiling professional basketball player Derrick White. 

The most outstanding story, to me, is about White’s initial wavering confidence to keep shots up after a couple of misses—perhaps due to a transition moving from San Antonio to Boston, while his wife Hannah was pregnant with their first child. White also was used to passing the ball to the star—not taking on the spotlight himself.

His opponents noticed, loosening their guard on him to double team other players, and Golden State eventually didn’t even guard him in the 2022 Finals. White had to step up and improve his shooting and his confidence. He got it from his team, who he recalls telling him, “Be aggressive. Don’t defer to us. [Head coach] Joe Mazzulla was giving me confidence. My teammates were giving me confidence. Hearing stuff like that from great players—it just gives you confidence.” 

Some people are lucky to receive this confidence early and unconditionally. But it seems like White is in the boat with the vast majority of us; he received the confidence in the middle of his career, after he had more than earned it. And he received it from his team not only because they believed in him, but also because they needed him to perform and improve if they wanted a better shot at winning.

White’s teammates helped him build this foundation of confidence in his shooting. So did his focus on improving his shooting. The closing line is what drew me to the piece, “I’m not into labels. I don’t even know what label I am anymore. I just know that whatever the team needs, I’m ready to do it.” 

This commitment to the team is a lot easier said than done. But even making the initial decision to come from this place—and putting aside personal drive, ambition, and recognition—is more than half the battle.