After waiting 18 months to get the call, Pops Mensah Bonsu had no intention of loitering on the sidelines. A wave of the hand from San Antonio Spurs' head coach, Gregg Popovich, was a noteworthy moment on a journey that had wound through Italy and Spain, stopped off in his native London, and was ending up, finally, back in the NBA.
With the fourth quarter about to begin in last Friday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 6ft 9in power forward was ready even to face off with LeBron James. Then a hand paused on his shoulder and the voice of experience whispered in his ear. "Michael told me I was having an audition, not only for this team but for a lot of teams," Mensah Bonsu said. "He said to do what I do to make my money. To go out there and be an 'energy guy' all over the court."
As a veteran of 13 seasons in the league, Michael Finley has seen many eager hopefuls such as Mensah Bonsu come and go. Players who, like the Great Britain international, have prised the door open by accepting the chance of a 10-day contract, basketball's on-the-job trial. These men, in relative terms, are no slouches, otherwise they would never get near the door. In many cases, the chances of their remaining past the 10th day rest as much on circumstance as on talent.
In San Antonio, the environment looks more amenable than it did two years ago, when Mensah Bonsu made 12 appearances for the Dallas Mavericks before being cut. He was still raw then, not long removed from an impressive college career at George Washington University in DC, and there was no room at the inn. The Spurs, even though they lead the south-west division, could use a little extra depth at his position due to the fitness concerns surrounding Tim Duncan. One man's frailty is another's opportunity. Which is why the 25-year-old has been handed his second shot.
"It's a bittersweet situation right now," he admits. "Tim's hurt. Manu Ginobili's hurt. But it makes room for other people to come in and help the team improve itself. With these guys not able to play, I'm able to step in and help ... When it comes to play-off time, or more critical games, coach Popovich can look down his bench, see me, and feel comfortable putting me in the game and in the rotation."
Anyone who watched Mensah Bonsu sparkle for GB in last summer's Eurobasket qualifiers would trust in his abilities. It was he, rather than Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng, who did most to drive the national side to a place in September's finals in Poland. And – with respect to Deng – his is the exuberant personality the team needs to connect with the British public ahead of 2012.
All the better, then, that he remains in the NBA. It is where he always wanted to be, since he first took basketball seriously at the age of 15. Until then, he was a promising high jumper and hurdler, good enough to represent England Schools. It was his elder brother, Kojo, who had hoop dreams. From his bedroom window, Pops could hear the roar from White Hart Lane, a five-minute walk from the family home.
If not an athlete, he would have loved to have played up front for Spurs. "It is quite ironic that I grew up a Tottenham Hotspur fan and now I'm at the San Antonio Spurs," he laughs. "I didn't think about it until you said that. But hopefully I can represent those Spurs like I represent Tottenham."
In three games to date with (the other) Spurs, he has averaged five points and 3.3 rebounds. Most have come in scrub time. Popovich, nonetheless, has seemed impressed. And although San Antonio is still considering a move for free-agent forward Drew Gooden, the scouting reports that suggested the Brit was too slight to compete at his position look dated. "I'm 6ft 9in, 245lbs," Mensah Bonsu says. "If you look at some of the better power forwards in the league, they're the same height and weight.
"Amar'e Stoudemire is one of my favourite players. Six feet, nine inches, 245lbs. And he's dominated this league for a while now. I'm not sure how big you have to be to play in the NBA now but I feel like I'm able to succeed and have an impact. It's not about how big you are, it's about what you can do. Once I get a chance to prove myself, I'll see what happens."
Pops, the Energy Guy, is buzzing to make this a permanent gig.
Offensive rebounds
• News that Luol Deng, contrary to initial fears, did not break his leg last weekend will not extinguish doubts that the Bulls forward might miss out on this summer's Eurobasket. The Londoner has had a poor season but is determined to soldier on despite an injury he describes as "almost like a shin splint" hampering his movement. "I'm going to have some pain, but I don't think I can make it worse," he said.
Of more concern to Great Britain is the risk of national duty worsening his condition. Last summer, team officials had to find almost £275,000 to pay the premium to the NBA's insurers against his contract in Chicago. With ongoing health concerns, and an unfavourable dollar-pound exchange rate, it could cost more next time, enough to offset the recent increase in funding to British Basketball by UK Sport.
• The second group phase of the Euroleague reaches its penultimate set of games in midweek, and for Robert Archibald, the only British player left in the competition, it is win or bust. Archibald, a one-time draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies, is now with a Málaga side that has to overcome Roma to stay in contention. With his team slipping off the pace in the Spanish ACB, and having suffered a nail-biting overtime loss in the domestic cup, a season of huge potential for the Scot is in danger of slipping away.
• More opinions on the lack of regular testing for performance-enhancing drugs in the NBA, following last week's blog
