EL SEGUNDO — Like most kids growing up in the Los Angeles area over the last two decades, David Nwaba was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. Especially Kobe Bryant. Watching those teams inspired Nwaba to be the first member of his household to seriously pick up a basketball, playing in scrimmages during lunch break and with friends, but he never considered that he was training for a future career.
“I was just focused on school,” Nwaba said. “It was always a hobby, but it was never really anything that I decided to go out of my way to join.