Called up from the Minors…is just the beginning

Whether he coned the phrase or not, a friend of mine once said, “The Opportunity of a lifetime is only good for the lifetime of the opportunity.” Antonio Anderson began the lifespan of an NBA career on Monday when he was called up from the NBA’s minor league system known as the “D-League” (“D” for Development). Anderson went to the University of Memphis where he was known as a defensive stopper and he participated in more than one pre-draft workout, the NBA’s version of an initial interview for someone a particular franchise may wish to employ. Nevertheless, up until Monday, he was a member of the Rio Grande Vipers (Houston Rockets). He was called up for NBA service to the Oklahoma City Thunder where Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook run the show.

Depending on the number of injuries on a pro team roster and other variables like team chemistry and win-loss ratio Anderson could last anywhere from 10 days to the remainder of the season. Emotions have to be running high. He’s on a team with electrifying players, one of them an All-Star. He’s on a team that’s in the midst of a nine-game winning streak. But no pressure right? Tonight he and his new squad are up against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns and the following night, San Antonio. He was player of the month in the D-League but new opportunities have a way of disregarding the accomplishments that earned you the Call-Up. I imagine Anderson will one day find himself at Staples Center amidst the stars and fanfare that is Lakerdom. He’ll suddenly be caught up on a screen and switch out to guard Kobe. There’s no development on the planet that gets you ready for that. But there he’ll be, 24 years young and either soaking it all up or buckling under the strain of trying to keep his job. What any of us wouldn’t give to be Antonio Anderson or any of the other Call-Ups. It’s an honor just to be one but being satisfied with an opportunity alone never suffices. It’s how you live within the opportunity that brings the joy. Anderson will have to compete, trust his instincts, play his game, be coachable, maximize all 86,400 seconds of every one of the 10 days on his contract. If he does that and if we do that, then we’ve become worthy of the opportunity of a lifetime.