David Nwaba continues to make school history.
Three weeks after being the first Cal Poly men’s basketball player to play in an NBA game, Nwaba signed a two-year contract to become a permanent member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
OFFICIAL: Lakers Sign Nwaba to Multi-Year Contract https://t.co/KPonOGbs5x
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 21, 2017
“What’s great about David is he’s not scared of any challenge,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton said Monday, according to The Vertical. “He’s never overwhelmed by the situation, which is very impressive for someone of his circumstance.”
The undrafted guard impressed coaches during his time playing for the Lakers’ NBA Development League team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. He averaged 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 39 games.
He was called up Feb. 28 and played that night in the Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets, notching five minutes of playing time and grabbing a rebound in a historic night for Cal Poly basketball.
Since then, he played in nine games, including a start in the Lakers’ losses to the Philadelphia 76ers on March 12 and the Denver Nuggets on March 13. Over the course of 10 games, he averaged 3.6 points and two rebounds per game on an average of 14.4 minutes per night.
But much of what Nwaba adds to the Lakers doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.
“We have been impressed by David’s focus and determination, especially on defense,” Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said in an announcement Tuesday. “He has a mentality about him that is infectious and he works hard every day to improve himself … [he] has certainly earned his spot on the roster.”
Nwaba also made a name for himself with multiple displays of athleticism.
.@Lakers David Nwaba with the one-handed alley-oop JAM! ? pic.twitter.com/coTX7YQQ2w
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 20, 2017
David Nwaba Swats Kyrie Irving?#lakers #cavaliers pic.twitter.com/7fcyTcFPVD
— LAKERSWORLD16 (@LakersWorld_16) March 20, 2017
David Nwaba – REMEMBER THE NAME! #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/c6YESoNsMd
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) March 18, 2017
Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but according to The Vertical, the deal is for the remainder of the current season and a team option for 2017-18. This means that the team can decide whether to opt out of the deal or not before next season starts.