David Nwaba facts for kids
Nwaba with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019
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| No. 2 – San-en NeoPhoenix | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard / small forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 14, 1993 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| High school | University (Los Angeles, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 219 lb (99 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2016 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2016–present |
| League | B.League |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2017 | Los Angeles D-Fenders |
| 2017 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2017 | →Los Angeles D-Fenders |
| 2017–2018 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2018–2019 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2019–2020 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2020–2022 | Houston Rockets |
| 2022–2023 | Motor City Cruise |
| 2024 | London Lions |
| 2024–present | San-en NeoPhoenix |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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David Ugochukwu Nwaba
i// (born January 14, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the San-en NeoPhoenix team in Japan's B.League. Before becoming a professional, he played college basketball for Santa Monica College and Cal Poly.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Basketball
- College Basketball Journey
- Professional Basketball Career
- Starting with the Los Angeles D-Fenders (2016–2017)
- Joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2017)
- Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2017–2018)
- With the Cleveland Cavaliers (2018–2019)
- Time with the Brooklyn Nets (2019–2020)
- Houston Rockets (2020–2022)
- Motor City Cruise (2022–2023)
- London Lions (2024)
- San-en NeoPhoenix (2024–Present)
- NBA Career Statistics
- Family Life
- See also
Early Life and High School Basketball
David Nwaba grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to University High School. There, he was a star player on the basketball team. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the All-Western League twice. In his senior year (2010–2011), he scored about 22 points and grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game.
College Basketball Journey
David started his college basketball journey at Hawaii Pacific. He took a "redshirt" year in 2011–2012, which means he practiced but didn't play in games.
Playing at Santa Monica College
In 2012, David moved to Santa Monica College. During the 2012–2013 season, he was amazing! He was named the Player of the Year for the Western State Conference South Division. He also made the All-California Community College Athletic Association first team. On average, he scored 20.5 points, grabbed 8.8 rebounds, and made 2.5 assists per game.
Time at Cal Poly
In 2013, David transferred again, this time to Cal Poly.
- Sophomore Year (2013–2014): He played in all 34 games and started 30 of them. He was great at shooting, making 52.6% of his shots. He also averaged 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He was even named to the Big West All-Tournament Team.
- Junior Year (2014–2015): David continued to play well, averaging 11.4 points per game. He also got 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He scored 10 or more points in 16 games that season.
- Senior Year (2015–2016): In his final year, David earned an honorable mention for the All-Big West team. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 30 games. By the end of his time at Cal Poly, he had over 1,000 career points and 465 rebounds.
Professional Basketball Career
After finishing college in 2016 with a degree in sociology, David Nwaba began his professional basketball career.
Starting with the Los Angeles D-Fenders (2016–2017)
David first tried out for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League. His rights were then traded to the Los Angeles D-Fenders. He joined their training camp and made the team!
In his first G-League game on November 11, 2016, he scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. For the 2016–2017 season, he played 40 games for the D-Fenders. He averaged 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. The team made the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the first round.
Joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2017)
On February 28, 2017, David signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He made his NBA debut that very night. On March 21, 2017, he signed a multi-year contract with the Lakers.
During his rookie season with the Lakers, David played 20 games. He averaged 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in about 20 minutes per game. However, on July 12, 2017, the Lakers decided to let him go.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2017–2018)
Just two days later, on July 14, 2017, the Chicago Bulls picked up David. He quickly became an important player for them, sometimes even starting games. His teammates praised his ability to challenge shots.
On February 22, 2018, David scored a career-high 21 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. His time with the Bulls was his most successful. He played and started the most games of his career in a single season. He also averaged his highest minutes, rebounds, and assists per game with the Bulls.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers (2018–2019)
On September 8, 2018, David signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He faced some injuries during this time. He missed games due to knee soreness and a sprained ankle. Despite this, he played 51 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Time with the Brooklyn Nets (2019–2020)
David signed with the Brooklyn Nets on July 17, 2019. He played in 20 games for them, averaging 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds. Unfortunately, on December 19, he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury, which ended his season. He was waived by the Nets on January 3, 2020.
Houston Rockets (2020–2022)
On June 23, 2020, David signed a two-year deal with the Houston Rockets. He played 30 games in the 2020–2021 season, averaging 9.2 points. He faced another wrist injury during this time. In September 2022, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder but was waived by them shortly after.
Motor City Cruise (2022–2023)
David then joined the Motor City Cruise in the G-League. In his first season with the Cruise (2022–2023), he played 25 games. He averaged 16.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. In October 2023, he briefly signed with the Detroit Pistons but rejoined the Cruise. He played only 3 games in his second season before moving overseas.
London Lions (2024)
On January 8, 2024, David signed with the London Lions in the British Basketball League.
San-en NeoPhoenix (2024–Present)
On July 24, 2024, David Nwaba signed with the San-en NeoPhoenix team in Japan's B.League.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | L.A. Lakers | 20 | 2 | 19.9 | .580 | .200 | .641 | 3.2 | .7 | .6 | .4 | 6.0 |
| 2017–18 | Chicago | 70 | 21 | 23.5 | .478 | .346 | .655 | 4.7 | 1.5 | .8 | .4 | 7.9 |
| 2018–19 | Cleveland | 51 | 14 | 19.3 | .481 | .320 | .682 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .7 | .3 | 6.5 |
| 2019–20 | Brooklyn | 20 | 0 | 13.4 | .521 | .429 | .667 | 2.3 | .4 | .6 | .6 | 5.2 |
| 2020–21 | Houston | 30 | 9 | 22.6 | .486 | .270 | .691 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .7 | 9.2 |
| 2021–22 | Houston | 46 | 4 | 13.2 | .483 | .306 | .716 | 3.3 | .8 | .6 | .4 | 5.1 |
| Career | 237 | 50 | 19.3 | .490 | .320 | .673 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .7 | .4 | 6.8 | |
Family Life
David Nwaba's parents are Theodore and Blessing Nwaba, who are from Nigeria. He has five siblings: two brothers named Victor and Alex, and three sisters named Jane, Precious, and Barbara. His sister Barbara is also a professional athlete! She is a heptathlete, which means she competes in seven different track and field events. Barbara competed in the 2016 Olympics and won national championships in 2015 and 2016.
See also
In Spanish: David Nwaba para niños
