Keesler basketball star selected to Air Force team Published Feb. 24, 2011 By 1st Lt. Joost Verduyn 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Not long ago, I had the opportunity to interview 1st Lt. Onyenma "Dan" Nwaelele at the Blake Fitness Center and catch up with someone whom I had watched play basketball through our days at the Air Force Academy. Nwaelele has continued to work at his basketball skills and has been selected to be on the Air Force Basketball Team this year. He's been on the team every year since his commissioning in 2007 except for 2010, when he was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. "It was a good experience to work with everyone (in the Department of Defense while in Kandahar)," Nwaelele said. "I had the chance to work with a lot of amazing people and it gave me the opportunity to work my contracting job and to also work out. I was in the gym all the time. We had access to a gym that was run by NATO that was very well kept. It keeps your mind off of being deployed and breaks up the day." Each year that Nwaelele has played on the Air Force team, he's also been selected for the Armed Forces team. "I didn't know what to expect being on the Armed Forces team, but it was a great experience each time," he said. "It's a European rules style of basketball, so you have to adjust very quickly. You learn a lot, not only from our team, but from watching other teams play." The upcoming tournament for the Armed Forces team takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I have never been down there," said Nwaelele, " so if I had the opportunity to go, it would be amazing to visit such a beautiful country." I asked him how his experiences in the Air Force and at the Air Force Academy have helped his basketball career. "The academy and Air Force experiences have been helpful," he said. "When I'm on the basketball court training and I think something is hard, I look back to basic training or (combat survival training). Now that stuff was hard. It gives you mental toughness. It teaches you to always push through." Lastly, I asked him what he looked for in the future. "One of my big goals is to play in the NBA or overseas," he said. "I did workout with the (SanAntonio) Spurs a little after the academy. They brought me to a mini-camp and I did well, so they offered me a provisional contract and invited me back to training camp." "I look up to David Robinson and Chad Hennings, and now Chad Hall," said Nwaelele. "It's definitely something special to see these people from the service academies succeeding in professional sports." Robinson was a Naval Academy graduate who went on to play in the NBA after serving his commitment to the Navy. Robinson, nicknamed "The Admiral," played 13 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and won many awards including Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Hennings and Hall are Air Force Academy graduates who went on to play in the NFL following their service in the Air Force. Hennings played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992-2000 and was part of three Super Bowl winning teams. Hall is currently playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. "I hope to follow their lead and continue on and play professional basketball."