Erick Green is an NBA player today because he picked up his phone. Eventually. Green has been bouncing around the pro basketball world since he was drafted 46th overall in 2013. Now he’s with the Utah Jazz on a 10-day contract. It’s a chance to gain a toehold in the league and advance his career, and he found out about it *way* too late:
Pick up your phone. It might be the NBA calling to give you a job.
Not all calls from random numbers are garbage. Most are, but every once in a while...
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Erick Green's call-up story: pic.twitter.com/KM6aJxtCP8
— Aaron Falk (@tribjazz) January 26, 2016 Erick Green didn't answer the phone the first two times Utah called last night. "I don't ever answer the phone if I don't know your number."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 26, 2016 To recap: Green was screening calls from a suitor offering him another shot at the job of his dreams simply because he didn't recognize the number of whichever Jazz executive was on the line. He only picked up when his agent got in touch with him to be like YO PICK UP THE PHONE IT'S THE NBA QUIT MESSING WITH MY COMMISSION BRO.
The idea of an NBA hopeful missing his shot because he only picks up for contacts gives me hives, so let me just say: Unless you are a fugitive or under attack in some way, pick up your phone even if you don’t recognize the number. *Especially* if you don’t recognize the number.
Ninety-eight times out of 100, it’s a telemarketer or a misdial. One time out of 100, it’s the cops or the IRS. That other one time out of 100, it is a prospective employer or someone using you as an emergency contact or someone who got your number secondhand or your friend who’s borrowing a stranger’s phone because theirs ran out of battery or any number of perfectly legitimate and perhaps important parties whose contact information you did not already have. It’s worth those annoying 98 times out of 100 (and even that other 1 out of 100) to not hit “ignore” on some life-changing correspondence. Pick up your phone. Please.
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