Professional longevity is a challenge. I've been a doctor for almost forty years and I study aspects of medicine every day (example below). Not studying is not an option. It's not 'keeping up with the Joneses' as much as 'keeping up with yourself.' When I was a young doctor in the Navy, I often ate lunch with the older doctors, to the point peers asked why. "These guys know something and share that with me."
Don't be on time; be early. "Augustin recalls getting to a summer league bus on time, only to be met by Bobcats head coach Larry Brown, who pulled him to the side and told him, “Son, next time, if you don’t beat me to the bus, that means you’re late.”"
Never stop learning. “Don’t care that I’m a backup. Don’t care if I don’t play at all. Just try and learn as much as I can.”
Fill a role. “It’s very difficult sometimes as a player, because you know who you are and who you want to be, but sometimes that may not match up with who your coach needs you to be,” (Marvin) Williams said. "If you want to make it, get as good as possible at one specific skill teams need."
Be ready. "You always have to be ready to perform, because if you aren’t, you might not get another chance. That means making sure your body and your game are in top-end shape, that you’ve hewed to your routine."
Listen. "Listening to the older dudes has value...the vets are the ones who know which refs to work and which ones to leave alone; how to make sure you’re setting the screen at the right angle to get the ball handler loose; how to get on a coach’s good side and stay there."
Don't be an A*hole. "Perkins recalls the adoration Kevin Garnett inspired with the late-aughts Celtics because “he treated the janitor with the same respect that he would treat the owner with”—or they can be negative. Either way, they’ll (words) get around."
Be flexible. “Nothing’s guaranteed in this league, man. You can’t take anything for granted.”