Air Force graduate Nwaelele offered professional basketball contract in Turkey

Recent Air Force graduate Dan Nwaelele has received a “standing verbal offer” from a professional basketball team in Turkey, his agent, Jerome Kersey, said Wednesday.

Pinar Karsiyaka, which plays in the Turkish Basketball League, the top professional league in the country, is prepared to offer a contract that would pay around $60,000 and cover living expenses for the season that runs from October through June, Kersey said. But the team is waiting to see if Nwaelele can postpone his service commitment.

An Air Force policy released this year states an airman who wants to pursue a professional sports career “must have served on active duty for at least 24 months.” Nwaelele and former teammate Jacob Burtschi, who has a contract offer from a professional team in France, both hope to be granted exceptions to the new rule.

Before it was in place, decisions about academy graduates playing professionally were made on a case-by-case basis — 2006 graduate Antoine Hood was allowed to play for the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League last season.

Nwaelele worked out for several NBA teams before the draft but was not added to any of the teams’ summer league rosters. Still, Kersey, who played 17 years in the NBA, thinks Nwaelele has potential to play in the league.

“Definitely,” he said. “Everybody rants and raves about how well he shoots the ball and what a great kid he is.”

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