Magic 2020 first-round draft pick Cole Anthony arrived in Orlando on Friday, signed his first professional contract on Saturday and began working out at the team's practice facility on Sunday.
The busy stretch of days might seem a little overwhelming to some rookies, but not Anthony. His father, Greg, spent 11 years in the NBA, giving Cole a chance to experience the many facets of the game.
Having an NBA player as a father helped prepare Anthony for his current journey, creating a level of comfort toward the transition process to the NBA. Anthony said he's eager to soak up as much knowledge as he can as he moves forward in his rookie season.
"I'm really just here to learn and get better every day," he said after his workout Monday at the Magic's practice facility. "I'm just ecstatic to be here."
Anthony also has met some of his teammates and came away impressed.
"They were all very welcoming," Anthony said. "They're all just good dudes, so I'm just really happy to be around them and I look forward to learning from everyone on the team."
Orlando selected Anthony, a point guard out of North Carolina, with the 15th overall pick in last week's 2020 NBA draft. He is the first Tar Heels player selected in the first round by the Magic.
Anthony will wear No. 50 — the same number is father wore during his playing career. Four other Magic players have worn No. 50: Jawann Oldham (1990), Felton Spencer (1997), Corey Maggette (2000) and Mike Miller (2001-2003).
Anthony enters his rookie season after a challenging freshman campaign at UNC that saw him miss 11 games because of a torn meniscus that required surgery. The Tar Heels endured a number of injuries as a whole, and it reached the point where Anthony said it seemed like somebody on the roster was always hurt.
"That was probably the thing that was the most frustrating for me," Anthony said. "It was rough."
The move into the NBA will be a fast one for Anthony because the coronavirus pandemic has eliminated nearly all of the offseason time rookies normally get to prepare.
NBA players are participating in voluntary workouts as COVID-19 protocols remain in place for the league. Teams are scheduled to open training camp for the 2020-21 season on Dec. 1.
