WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — There's a local tie to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Central Catholic and Purdue alum Dru Anthrop is in his first season as head video coordinator for the Lakers.
Anthrop and the Lakers owned the top seed in the Western Conference and second-best record in the NBA before the league suspended its season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Anthrop vividly remembers that moment.
"We were getting ready for Houston," Anthrop said. "It was wild. No one really knew what to do. It was definitely a very unique time."
Anthrop was working late nights and early mornings.
Now he's working from home. He's also playing Call of Duty, reading books and going for runs on Manhattan Beach to fill the time.
Anthrop is unsure whether or not the season will return.
"It's hard to say," Anthrop said. "You hope for it. You'd love to see it happen. Selfishly, I would love to see how our team would finish out. Personally, I think it's going to be pretty difficult."
Despite the precarious state of the NBA season, Anthrop is staying prepared in the event it returns. It's been an ususual first season for the 30-year-old, but he's enjoyed the experience.
"The highlight for me has been able to work with such a historic organization," Anthrop said. "Our coaching staff has gelled really well together and our players have come together."
Anthrop has shared the same planes, buses, and and basketball courts as some very recognizable faces such as Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and LeBron James.
As good as James is on the court, Anthrop has been most impressed with how he carries himself off of it.
"He genuinely cares about all the people he's around," Anthrop said "I met him I think my second or third day of work. I told him my name is Dru and he's like, 'Alright Dru. Great to have you. Let's get going.' And then we started working out. The next day when he came in he's like, "What's up Dru?' He remembered my name. Those are little things about him that are impressive beyond his basketball IQ and skill."
While Anthrop is over two thousand miles away from home, he always has his eye on his alma mater and younger brother Jackson who's on the Purdue football team.
"Being a video guy I control what's on the TV's and half the people don't know how to work them so when Saturday afternoon comes and I want to watch Jackson play and see how the Boilers are doing I throw it on and everybody comes rolling in for staff meetings and they're always wondering how Big Ten football is on out here," Anthrop said. "I always make sure I got that thing on all the TV's that I can so I don't miss anything."
