When Tobi Lawal was growing up in south London, finding time in the gym was a challenge. Now the gym is right next to his house.

The 23-year-old British forward was selected 48th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Draft last week, becoming one of the rare handful of players from the United Kingdom to hear his name called on draft night. It is a milestone that seemed distant even a few years ago — Lawal only began playing competitive basketball when he was 16, developing his game with the City of London Academy before leaving south London for high school in Maine.

"I hope this provides inspiration to young kids that anything is possible," Lawal said after being drafted. "I'm touching close to what I could be and how good I could become. I definitely believe that it can help me become as great as I want to be."

His journey to the NBA is anything but conventional. After stints at Virginia Commonwealth University for his first two years of college, Lawal transferred to Virginia Tech, where he spent the last two seasons as a starter and grew into a 6-foot-8 forward capable of playing multiple positions. Like most second-round picks, he acknowledges he is a project player — someone NBA franchises are betting on potential rather than proven stardom.

But the second round has produced legends. Jalen Brunson, this year's NBA Finals MVP, was a second-round pick in 2018. So were Nikola Jokic, Draymond Green, and Dennis Rodman — players who transformed from overlooked prospects into household names.

Lawal seems acutely aware of that history. "In London it is hard to get in the gym," he said. "Now the gym is right next to my house. I love being in the gym. I love growth — as a person, in my faith and as a player. Now I can do that, I'm going to live there."

The drafted took place in New York across two nights, with the first 30 picks on Tuesday and the second round concluding on Wednesday. Lawal was one of 30 players selected in that later round, joining a Mavericks organization that will give him the opportunity to prove he belongs.

For British basketball, Lawal's selection marks another small crack in the door that has been difficult for homegrown talent to breach. For Lawal himself, it is the beginning of a new chapter — one where the gym is no longer something to seek out, but simply home.