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Former GW guard Jameer Nelson Jr., son of former NBA standout, transfers to Delaware
Jameer Nelson Jr., son of former NBA player Jameer Nelson, will make his way to the University of Delaware following a transfer from George Washington University. (Courtesy: GW Athletics)

Former GW guard Jameer Nelson Jr., son of former NBA standout, transfers to Delaware

NEWARK, Del. (BVM) — Delaware Blue Hens basketball fans may recognize the team’s newest transfer. Though they may not recognize him as much for his play at his former school, fans are sure to pick up on his name. Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of former 14-year NBA veteran Jameer Nelson, recently made the decision to transfer to the Blue Hens following a year and a half as a guard with George Washington.

Though Nelson Jr. became famous for his play at the Haverford School in Haverford, Penn., the move to Delaware should not come as a total surprise. On Nov. 11, the elder Nelson was hired as the Assistant General Manager for the Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers G-League Affiliate, in Wilmington, Del. This move, coupled with a tumultuous year for the George Washington program which saw three players announce plans to transfer in the span of a week, helped bring the young point guard to the Blue Hens.

Nelson Jr.’s father was able to make a name for himself early in his basketball career. As a star guard for St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Nelson would lead the Hawks to a perfect 27-0 regular-season record during the 2003-04 season, en route to securing a No. 1 seed in that year’s NCAA Tournament, while earning National Player of the Year honors. Nelson would finish his career as Saint Joseph’s career leader in points (2,094), assists (713) and steals (256), records he still holds today. 

Nelson would finish his NBA career 878 career games for six teams over 14 NBA seasons, averaging 11.3 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. (Photo: Keith Allison/Share Alike 2.0 Generic)

Nelson’s NBA career would also see numerous successes. After being selected with the No. 20 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Nelson would play in 878 games over a 14-year career with six different teams. Nelson would finish with career averages of 11.3 points and 5.1 assists. Most notably in his career was Nelson’s 10 seasons with the Orlando Magic where he would earn NBA All-Rookie second team honors, an All-Star Game appearance during the 2008-09 campaign, when Nelson also helped lead Orlando to the franchise’s second-ever NBA Finals appearance. His 3,501 career assists are the most in Magic franchise history, while he ranks second all-time in career games played (651), third in three-pointers made (874), and fifth in both points (8,184) and steals (619).

Like his father, Nelson Jr. has quickly proven to be adept with a basketball. A three-star prospect out of Haverford, Nelson came in as a strong basketball prospect, but was not solely focused on the sport.

“He was pretty heavy into baseball as a younger kid and he had a great freshman year on our JV team and I remember us coaches talking to Jameer saying, ‘You could be really good,’” Haverford basketball coach Bernie Rogers said. “As time went on, the lightbulb went off and he went more to basketball than baseball.”

With the renewed focus, Nelson Jr. made the coaches’ prediction a reality. As a senior, he led the team to an undefeated season and a Class 5A state championship averaging 15 points per game and earning second team all-state honors.

“It was neat to watch him grow up,” Rogers said. “He always had great instincts. He was always unselfish and very coachable. He kept adding to his game each year and as he matured he was very athletic. I still think to this day he has a tremendous upside moving forward.”

Nelson Jr. initially verbally committed to his father’s alma mater before a coaching change caused the senior to instead sign with George Washington. 

“They had been recruiting him all along so once he opened it up he already had a relationship with those coaches so it was a natural fit at the time,” Rogers said.

Nelson Jr. made an immediate impact for the Colonials over his first two seasons, starting 28 games as a freshman and five as a sophomore while averaging 10.4 and 8.4 points per game, respectively. (Courtesy: GW Athletics)

As a true freshman for the Colonials, Nelson Jr. would quickly make an impact, starting his first game and starting 28 of 31 on the year.  Nelson Jr. would finish fourth on the team in points with 10.4 per game while leading the Colonials with 1.8 steals a game. Nelson Jr. would also add 4.4 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 41% from the field. This season, Nelson Jr. would play in all seven games, starting five, prior to his transfer and would average 8.4 points, four rebounds and two assists. 

“I wasn’t surprised he got off to a good start,” Rogers said. “It’s always fun watching your former players play at the next level.”

One of those games included a 68-65 loss to the Blue Hens at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark where Nelson Jr. would shoot 75% from the field scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out an assist.

With an added year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson Jr. has up to three years of eligibility remaining and the 6-foot-1 guard will be able to immediately add to the Delaware team’s depth. With two of the Blue Hens’ top three scorers being senior guards in Ryan Allen and Kevin Anderson, Nelson Jr. should be able to quickly find a spot in the rotation, if not the starting lineup come next season. The 7-7 Blue Hens are looking to improve on their current standings of fifth in the Colonial Athletic Conference, a spot they have finished in the previous two seasons as well, and the addition of a playmaker like Nelson Jr. should be beneficial.

“For us, he was a good finisher and a great cutter and could make the open three,” Rogers said. “Defensively, we tried to get him as good as possible because he could get tips and steals and can really change the game from that end too. He’s very coachable and very team oriented which always makes the coach’s task easier.”

While Nelson Jr. may have had to deal with living in his father’s shadow during the early parts of his college career, the new opportunity with the Blue Hens should give him an ample amount of opportunities to make a name for himself. With a good fit and family support nearby, Nelson Jr. can excel for the Blue Hens and may even become a chip off the old block.

“He gets bigger and stronger each year and like I said his athletic ability is off the charts,” Rogers said. “I think not having played, being so heavy in baseball middle school and high school years, once he catches up on that I think his ceiling is off the charts. I think he can get to a really high level and I’m curious to follow that for the next couple years.”