Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.
By John Denton
Dec. 8, 2015
DENVER – While he hopes to someday be a basketball coach and he still takes pride in mentoring the young guards around him, Jameer Nelson wants to make one thing clear: He’s still a NBA player and one who can do damage in games.
The Orlando Magic, the team that Nelson played for the first 10 years of his NBA career, found that out the hard way last season. Nelson returned to the Amway Center three times last season – once in the preseason with Dallas and two other times with Boston and Denver. In both of those regular-season games, Nelson made his presence felt by taking over the play with his shooting and ability to distribute the basketball.
Nelson, now 33 years old and in his 12th NBA season, made such an impression with the Nuggets that Denver signed him to a three-year contract in July. Part of his responsibility is helping shape the development of electrifying rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, but Nelson also has proven himself as a capable threat. The 6-foot guard heads into tonight’s game against the Magic (11-9) averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 assists in 23.8 minutes a night.
“It’s a different situation than I was in early in my career, but I knew exactly what I signed up for,” said Nelson, who mutually parted ways with the Magic following the 2013-14 season. “I’m not necessarily a mentor. We’re out here playing together and I’m still playing. He has to go through situations and learn for himself. I’m not a mentor, I’m not a teacher and I’m not a coach. I’m a player.”
After seeing its five-game winning streak come to an end Saturday night in Los Angeles in a 103-101 loss to the Clippers, Orlando will be looking to start a new streak tonight against Nelson and the Nuggets (8-13). The Magic are 2-1 on their 10-day, five-game road trip and they hope to close the trip out the right way tonight in Denver and Wednesday in Phoenix.
“It’s going to be huge for us, these next two games,” said Magic guard Victor Oladipo, who has played his best basketball of the season over the past six games. “We’ve got to finish this out 2-0.”
Oladipo’s rookie season coincided with Nelson’s final season in Orlando, and he spent plenty of time doling out advice to the young guard. It was no accident that Oladipo’s seat on the plane was next to Nelson’s so that he could offer tips from time to time.
“He was great for me, sitting by him on the planes and his teaching me and me learning,” said Oladipo, who ranks third on the Magic in scoring at 14.7 points per game. “He was a great man and he is to this day. It was great having him in my corner.”
Hearing those sorts of words brings a smile to Nelson’s face because he always took his job of being a role model – both in the Central Florida community and in the Magic locker room seriously.
“It makes me feel good, but it’s a tribute of the people that I had in front of me like Grant Hill, Stacey Augmon and Pat Garrity – guys who taught me the ropes and showed me the way,” Nelson said of the help he provided to young players while in Orlando. “It’s like a brotherhood and you give back in any way that you can.”
Orlando acquired Nelson in a trade during the 2012 NBA Draft, and he teamed with Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis through the years to turn the Magic into a powerhouse. Nelson made the 2009 NBA All-Star team, played in the ’09 Finals after coming back from injury and he played some of the best basketball of his life in 2010 as Orlando got back to the Eastern Conference Finals. His name is all over the Magic’s history books, ranking first in assists (3,501), second in games played (651), third in minutes played (19,038), fourth in scoring (8,184), third in 3-pointers made (874), fifth in steals (619) and ninth in free throw makes (1,092).
This season, Nelson scored a season-best 16 points in New Orleans on Nov. 17 and he handed out nine assists against the Lakers on Nov. 3. Last season against the Magic, Nelson helped Boston cut a Magic 27-point lead to three before Orlando pulled away for the win. Also, Nelson had nine points and 11 assists in Orlando last March as the Nuggets whipped the Magic 119-100.
“I was supposed to be done after my third year, people would say. But I’m in year 12 and I signed a three-year deal this summer which I was very fortunate to do,” Nelson said with a chuckle. “I have a great supporting cast with my wife and kids and everybody else in my life. Obviously, the (Nuggets) organization here believes in me to give me a three-year deal and have me around the guys. So it’s a good feeling.”
Nelson added that it’s also a good feeling to see the Magic trending upward again following a difficult three-year rebuilding project.
“Honestly, I haven’t been able to pay too much attention. Being out here in the West with the time difference it’s tougher, but I always wish (the Magic) nothing but the best,” Nelson said. “Especially the DeVos family, who was always great to me and my family and the (Orlando) community as well.”
