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NBA Veteran David Nwaba Signs with London Lions
1/16/2024 10:41:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The first player in Cal Poly men's basketball history to appear in the NBA, six-year league veteran David Nwaba recently extended his professional career with the London Lions, signing last week for the defending British Basketball League champions.
The 6-5 Nwaba joins London Lions from the NBA G League's Motor City Cruise, where he was averaging 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds at the time of departure for the Detroit Pistons affiliate.
"We are all really looking forward to having David join the club. I know he is excited to start a new chapter in his basketball life, especially when you get an opportunity to join a winning team who is in the hunt for trophies," London general manager Brett Burman said in a club statement. "We have a great group of guys who are excited to get David on board and right into the thick of it. He is a hooper, and at the end of day, it should be a seamless transition for him to hit the ground running and impact winning on this team. Our fans will really enjoy his physicality and style of play."
London currently tops the British Basketball League table with a 32-4 record. The Lions qualified for the 2023-24 intercontinental EuroCup as defending BBL champions and currently sit third in Group A behind Paris Basketball and Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israel. London next hosts Spain's Joventut Badalona Wednesday evening in EuroCup action.
Undrafted following his Cal Poly (2013-16) career, Nwaba signed with the Los Angeles Lakers' G League affiliate in November 2016 and, in 38 appearances, averaged 13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 64.5 percent from the floor to earn selection to the NBA Development League All-Defensive Team that year.
Called up to the Los Angeles Lakers to close the 2016-17 season, Nwaba enjoyed his first 20 NBA appearances before joining the Chicago Bulls for the 2017-18 season, Cleveland (2018-19) and Brooklyn (2019-20). His NBA career continued with Houston from 2020-22 before joining the Motor City Cruise.
In 237 career NBA games, Nwaba averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor.
One of Cal Poly's top two scorers during each of his three years and a member of the program's 2014 NCAA Tournament squad, Nwaba led the Mustangs during his 2015-16 senior season in points (12.5), rebounds (6.3), assists (3.5) and steals (1.3) per game. Nwaba finished his career ranked 15th in program history with 465 rebounds and as one of only 25 players to score 1,000-plus career points.
London Lions were one of four clubs Cal Poly faced during its 2019 summer exhibition tour of England, dropping an 89-71 decision inside the Copper Box Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The 6-5 Nwaba joins London Lions from the NBA G League's Motor City Cruise, where he was averaging 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds at the time of departure for the Detroit Pistons affiliate.
"We are all really looking forward to having David join the club. I know he is excited to start a new chapter in his basketball life, especially when you get an opportunity to join a winning team who is in the hunt for trophies," London general manager Brett Burman said in a club statement. "We have a great group of guys who are excited to get David on board and right into the thick of it. He is a hooper, and at the end of day, it should be a seamless transition for him to hit the ground running and impact winning on this team. Our fans will really enjoy his physicality and style of play."
London currently tops the British Basketball League table with a 32-4 record. The Lions qualified for the 2023-24 intercontinental EuroCup as defending BBL champions and currently sit third in Group A behind Paris Basketball and Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israel. London next hosts Spain's Joventut Badalona Wednesday evening in EuroCup action.
Undrafted following his Cal Poly (2013-16) career, Nwaba signed with the Los Angeles Lakers' G League affiliate in November 2016 and, in 38 appearances, averaged 13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 64.5 percent from the floor to earn selection to the NBA Development League All-Defensive Team that year.
Called up to the Los Angeles Lakers to close the 2016-17 season, Nwaba enjoyed his first 20 NBA appearances before joining the Chicago Bulls for the 2017-18 season, Cleveland (2018-19) and Brooklyn (2019-20). His NBA career continued with Houston from 2020-22 before joining the Motor City Cruise.
In 237 career NBA games, Nwaba averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor.
One of Cal Poly's top two scorers during each of his three years and a member of the program's 2014 NCAA Tournament squad, Nwaba led the Mustangs during his 2015-16 senior season in points (12.5), rebounds (6.3), assists (3.5) and steals (1.3) per game. Nwaba finished his career ranked 15th in program history with 465 rebounds and as one of only 25 players to score 1,000-plus career points.
London Lions were one of four clubs Cal Poly faced during its 2019 summer exhibition tour of England, dropping an 89-71 decision inside the Copper Box Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
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