Jameer Nelson facts for kids
Jameer Lamar Nelson Sr. (born February 9, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is currently the general manager for the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League. Nelson played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks. In 2004, he was named the best college player in the country.
Nelson was picked 20th in the 2004 NBA draft. He spent his first ten years in the NBA with the Orlando Magic. In 2009, he became an All-Star and played in the NBA Finals with the Magic. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons.
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Nelson with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017
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| Delaware Blue Coats | ||||||||||||||
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| General manager | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | February 9, 1982 Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| High school | Chester (Chester, Pennsylvania) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Saint Joseph's (2000–2004) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2004–2018 | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA G League | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2014 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 9,940 (11.3 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,595 (3.0 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 4,508 (5.1 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Contents
High School Basketball
Jameer Nelson went to Chester High School in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was a star player on the basketball team. In 2000, he helped his team win the PIAA AAAA State championship.
College Basketball Career
Nelson started playing at Saint Joseph's University in the 2000–01 season. He had an amazing first year and was named the best freshman player in the country. During his third year (2002–03), he scored about 19.7 points per game. He also had 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He thought about entering the NBA draft early but decided to stay for his senior year.
In 2003–04, Nelson led the Saint Joseph's Hawks to a perfect 27–0 record in the regular season. Their first loss was in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Nelson and teammate Delonte West were a strong duo. They helped the Hawks get a top seed in the NCAA tournament. They made it to the Elite Eight, almost reaching the Final Four. Saint Joseph's finished with a 30–2 record, their best ever. Nelson averaged 20.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.9 steals per game.
Nelson won many awards in his final year. These included the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award. He left Saint Joseph's as the school's all-time leader in points (2,094), assists (714), and steals (256). The university honored him by retiring his number 14 jersey on April 23, 2004.
Professional Basketball
Orlando Magic (2004–2014)
The Denver Nuggets picked Nelson 20th in the 2004 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Orlando Magic. The Magic were able to get both Nelson and Dwight Howard in the same draft.
As a rookie, Nelson was a backup point guard. He played so well that the Magic made him a starter. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 2006, the Magic traded Steve Francis, making Nelson their main starting point guard. He improved his game, averaging 14.6 points and 5 assists per game.
In the next year, Nelson helped the Magic reach the playoffs. They were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the first round. In 2008, the Magic won their first playoff series in 12 years. Nelson averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 assists in those playoffs.
During the 2008–09 NBA season, Nelson had his best year for points and shooting. He was chosen to play in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. However, he tore a muscle in his shoulder and missed the game. Nelson was averaging 16.7 points and 5.4 assists at the time. After four months, he returned for the NBA Finals. The Magic lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Nelson had another injury in November 2009, tearing a meniscus in his left knee. He returned in December. The Magic made the playoffs again, winning their division. They swept the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks. But they lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Nelson averaged 19 points in those playoffs.
On March 18, 2011, Nelson made a game-winning shot at the buzzer against the Denver Nuggets. This gave Orlando an 85–82 victory.
Nelson and Dwight Howard were good friends. But their relationship became difficult when Howard wanted to play with another star point guard. Howard eventually left the Magic in 2012. Despite this, Nelson signed a new three-year deal with the Magic.
On February 23, 2014, Nelson scored his 8,020th point. This moved him past Shaquille O'Neal for fourth place on the Magic's all-time scoring list. On June 30, 2014, the Magic let Nelson go after 10 seasons.
Dallas Mavericks (2014)
On July 24, 2014, Nelson signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He played 23 games for the Mavericks. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 assists per game.
Boston Celtics (2014–2015)
On December 18, 2014, Nelson was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played six games for Boston, averaging 4.8 points and 5.5 assists. In his second game with Boston, Nelson played against his old team, the Orlando Magic.
Denver Nuggets (2015–2017)
On January 13, 2015, Nelson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. On June 26, 2015, he chose to leave his contract with the Nuggets to become a free agent. However, he re-signed with the Nuggets on August 7, 2015. On October 18, 2017, the Nuggets released Nelson.
New Orleans Pelicans (2017–2018)
On October 22, 2017, Nelson signed with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Detroit Pistons (2018)
On February 1, 2018, Nelson was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Seven days later, he was traded again to the Detroit Pistons.
Nelson's last NBA game was on March 13, 2018. It was a loss to the Utah Jazz. In that game, Nelson played for 26 minutes. He had 4 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 steal, but no points.
Executive Career
On November 11, 2020, the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League hired Nelson. He became their assistant general manager.
Personal Life
On August 30, 2007, Nelson faced a sad time when his father, Floyd "Pete" Nelson, passed away.
Jameer Nelson has tattoos on his back. One says All Eyes On Me, and another says Accomplish Everything Without Fear.
On July 5, 2008, he married Imani Tillery. He has a son from a previous relationship, Jameer Jr., who played basketball for TCU.
Images for kids
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A robot illustration.
