Top 5 NBA players who served in the military
NBA players very rarely seek jobs outside of their basketball careers, but when they do, they are often lucrative options. Many turn to rap careers or acting gigs. Kobe Bryant and more recently Damian Lillard have both tried their hand at rapping while Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have acted in multiple films and/or TV shows.
Five NBA players who served in the military
It is very rare for a famous athlete making big money to enroll in the military. In fact, there are only a handful of NBA stars that have done it in the history of the league. The following is our list of the top five players who served in the military:
#5 Bernard James
The road to the NBA for Bernard James was long and winding. Where players start as young as 19, Bernard started his basketball journey as a 27-year-old. He did not have what one would call a stellar career in the league, playing only 92 games over the duration of three years. But the former Dallas Mavericks player played professionally in China for the Shanghai Sharks.
Before his brief stint in the NBA, Bernard James was an enlisted US Air Force serviceman. The 6'10" center served for six years in various different countries. His duty with the Air Force took him to Qatar, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
#4 Tim James
Very rarely do we come across athletes who can find it in their heart to not just enroll in the military but serve in highly dangerous and sensitive locations. The motivation needed to commit this highly sacrificial act is often subdued by the kind of money these players make in their professional basketball careers.
Tim James, before enlisting in the U.S. Army, played three seasons in the NBA. He was picked in 1999 as the 25th overall pick by the Miami Heat. He also played with the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers in his three year long career.
As a serviceman, Tim was posted in Iraq and chose not to share his basketball career with the world famous teams a secret from his fellow soldiers.