He was selected in the second round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, and played seven seasons in the league as a backup 7-foot (2.1 m) centre.

He figured the Lakers provided him the best opportunity for a regular role in the NBA, as their starting center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was approaching age 40.

[1] He then had a year with the San Antonio Spurs, parts of three seasons with the Golden State Warriors and a brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers.

He played in Italy for Fulgor Libertas Forlì (1989–90), in the Greek League for Dafni BC (1992–93) and in Croatia for KK Split (1996–97).

[4] As a freshman in 2021, Anna was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four as the Badgers claimed their first-ever national title in the sport.