Mavs.com Report: From Iraq to the pros, James' journey continues
Earl K. Sneed takes a look at the journey of Bernard James from the U.S. Air Force to the NBA, and says there's much more to come from the 27-year-old big man.
Mavs.com Report: From Iraq to the pros, James' journey continues
DALLAS -- Many are called but few are chosen.
In the case of Dallas Mavericks rookie Bernard James, few -- if any -- have taken his route to reach the NBA. Now, with an opportunity to achieve a goal he never knew was a possibility until recently, James will try to fulfill his dream when training camp begins this fall.
The 27-year-old big man served for six years in the United States Air Force, ranking as a staff sergeant for three tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar. And it’s those experiences that James now carries into his professional basketball career, joining an organization that is looking to return to the elite level that captured the 2011 title.
“It’s been long, man. It’s been long,” James said when reminiscing over his journey to this point. “From start to finish, it’s been a 10-year process. You know, I learned a lot in the military, and that set me up in a great position to transfer over to a junior college and then to transfer to Florida State. You know, the military has put me in a great position to excel, no matter what opportunities I get.”
He added: “It’s great. I couldn’t ask for a better situation. You know, this team has had a lot of success in the past, so it’s really good to be in an organization like this that knows how to win and knows how to build champions. Just being here, I know I’m gonna get better and I know I’m gonna learn the things that I’m gonna need to learn to be a successful professional.”
Despite his age, James is still admittedly learning the game of basketball, finishing up his collegiate career at Florida State after two seasons at Tallahassee Community College.
Acquired in a deal by the Mavs after being selected by Cleveland in the second round (33rd overall pick) back in June, James said he then reached a goal he didn’t conceive until after his first year with the Seminoles, when he completed his junior season ranking first in blocked shots (2.4 bpg), second in rebounds (5.9 rpg) and fourth in points (8.6 ppg). Those numbers spiked to 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks as a senior, setting the still-raw prospect up to hear his name called on Draft Night.
“I was just really happy,” James said after being selected. “I didn’t work out for Dallas in the pre-draft process, so I didn’t really think that was in the cards for me. But I couldn’t have come to a better city or a better organization. The staff is awesome; the facility, the city, I love it.
“It’s a really good feeling to have a home now,” he added. “You know, the pre-draft process -- it can be long and tedious, and seeing all those different facilities and ending up here, I’m just really happy with the way things turned out. I’m gonna work.”
James immediately got to work, posting two double-doubles in the Mavs’ five games during summer-league play. The 6-foot-10, 240-pounder also averaged 10.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, showing glimpses of what made him an attractive project for Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to mold.
And when you factor in James’ background and work ethic, there’s little reason not to think there’s much more to come, according to Carlisle.
“To me, 27 years old is young, especially with big guys. Big guys’ careers tend to stretch out longer, but we view his age as a positive,” Carlisle explained. “I mean, this guy is staff sergeant in the United States Air Force and he’s served in Iraq on multiple occasions. This is a special guy, so we’re excited to have him here. And from a basketball standpoint, we’re honored to have him a part of our organization for what he’s done for us and our country and all those things. That’s a big deal, and you don’t get the opportunity to draft a guy like that every day.”
