Air Force veteran Bernard James is headed to the NBA. James served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and now he'll be based in Texas - playing ball for the Dallas Mavericks, according to the Pentagon Channel.
The 27-year-old James was in the Air Force for six years. He enlisted in the service at age 17, and left the Air Force as a staff sergeant, according to USA Today.
He later attended Florida State University, where he played basketball as a power forward.
USA Today quotes James as saying:
"I know how to be a professional, I'm disciplined and I'm going to work hard. I know how to be part of a team. I fill my role for the greater good of the group. I see the big picture.
"A lot of guys don't really have a grasp on that. They're only thinking about themselves and their game, rather than thinking about the big picture and the team. A lot of people are bred and trained from childhood to make it to this level, but I've had an entire life before this. Basketball came later on for me."
