Every year in July at the NBA draft, a handful of young men are officially assured their place in the multi-millionaire club, and the 58 players are at least guaranteed a training camp roster spot.
However, for those not taken, the draft is just the beginning of a long and agonizing process. Some hopefuls will get calls and catch on with NBA teams, others will drift forever in the purgatories of European professional leagues, the NBA Development League, or lower quality American leagues such as the Continental Basketball Association, the new incarnation of the American Basketball Association.
They constantly wonder if and when the phone call that gets them a shot at their dreams will come, and even if it does, they have to fight hard every day to keep their roster spots.
Although playing in those leagues does not lead to a life of poverty, the uncertainty and near-misses can be nerve racking, and it takes a lot of mental strength to get through it unscathed.
Former Penn State guard Joe Crispin is being subjected to that this season, but his strong faith told him that if he followed God's path, good things would come. That path recently led him to the Phoenix Suns.
Crispin has a tremendous competitive spirit and a great deal of confidence. He's not one to believe people when they tell him he can't do something. Coming out of high school, most of his offers came from smaller Div. I schools, but he was convinced he was good enough to play in the Big Ten.
"When he came here he felt that he could play in the Big Ten from day one," Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said. "And not only did he speak of that mindset, he worked to compete in the Big Ten."
However, he is able to keep that in perspective, because much of his confidence from his ability to look past basketball and a faith strong enough to keep himself from being overly concerned with misfortune.
"Setbacks now to him are very minor, because he's living his life now with a much bigger picture in mind," said Nittany Lion senior forward Tyler Smith, who is also a devout Christian. "To God, wins and losses don't matter as much as building character in a person. I think that's what the Lord's been doing with Joe. He's showing him that 'You're a very competitive person Joe, and I put that in you, but at the same time, that's not what everything's about.' "
After a dream senior season in which he led the Big Ten in scoring, finished second on the Nittany Lions' all-time career scoring list, and led his team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1954, Crispin's phone line was dead on draft day. He was left to hope that some NBA team would remember his college accomplishments and give him a shot.
That team was the Los Angeles Lakers, the two-time defending world champions. Crispin played for the Lakers in the NBA summer league. He fared better for them in the Southern California Pro summer league than in Shaw's Pro Summer League in Boston for the Washington Wizards, and he managed to survive training camp to stay on the roster.
Crispin was originally put on the injured list, but was activated Nov. 10, and got his first action in the second quarter of the Lakers 108-95 win over the Orlando Magic Nov. 11.
He always had to play with uncertainty with no guarantee he would be on the team for the entire season.
He found his way into six games for the champs, but never played more than seven minutes in a game, registering a total of eight points. His cameo came to an end when the Lakers waived him Nov. 25 when starting point guard Derek Fisher was activated from the injured list.
For most, this would be a heartbreaker. Crispin had a small taste of his dream, and now he could only hope for the experience again. However, neither anxiety nor fear crept into his mind.
"I knew the NBA would happen for me sometime," Crispin said. "I just had to be patient. Good things come to those who wait. You would think being released would be a hard event at the time, but I always knew in my heart of hearts that there was something better yet to come."
While it would surprise most that any player as competitive as Crispin could handle the release easily, it was nothing Smith didn't expect.
"I wasn't surprised at all when I called him a month ago," Smith said. "And he said, 'Yeah, the Lakers let me go, I'll just hang out here and see what happens.' A lot of people would be like 'Oh my gosh, what am I going to do, should I go to Europe, should I stay here?' Joe has a very firm foundation in Jesus Christ and his walk with God, so it's going to take a lot more than just being waived off the team knock his faith."
The Lakers told Crispin they wanted to keep him close, so he stayed in the neighborhood, signing on with the Southern California Surf of the ABA.
In his first four games after the season started in late December, Crispin proved he belonged at a higher level, averaging 36 points per game, leading the Surf to a 3-0 start.
"I was a little more relaxed, and I got to really enjoy the type of role I had in college," Crispin said. "It gave me a chance to say I belonged at the next level. I had a lot of fun, and I just got to enjoy the game again, to embrace it and get my game back."
A number of other teams beside the Lakers were keeping tabs on Crispin's progress in the ABA. A number of scouts appeared at games, and Crispin's agent fielded several offers for 10-day contracts. However, his break finally came Jan. 7 from the Suns, who offered him a roster spot for the remainder of the season.
"Getting released turned out to be a complete blessing," he said. "I definitely think God had his hand in that. Now I'm going into a great situation in Phoenix and very confident that it's going to work out well."
At Phoenix, Crispin's numbers have increased with his confidence, which is much higher now that he knows he has a job for the rest of the season. He has averaged 13.3 minutes per game and 6.5 points per game in his four contests thus far.
He has also regained his shooting touch. He is 6-for-13 at Phoenix from behind the arc, after failing to make a single three in Los Angeles.
Crispin now has everything an undrafted rookie could ask for -- a guarantee of a season-long roster spot. It's taken a lifetime of work and six months of uncertainty, but he has never doubted that his future would hold great things.
"I can honestly say there was never any sort of panic," he said. "I knew that if I continued seeking God and following his path there was something huge in store for me. I knew the NBA would happen, and I know there's something greater beyond that."
