featured-image

Now A Celtic, Nelson Will Play Former Team on Tuesday

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John DentonDec. 22, 2014

ORLANDO – When Jameer Nelson – the player who wore Orlando Magic black, blue and pinstripes for as many years as any other in franchise history – first tugged on the green jersey of the once-hated Boston Celtics, even he had to stop and do a double-take.

Nelson never envisioned himself playing for the Celtics, the team that his Magic beat in an epic seven-game series in the second round of the 2009 playoffs en route to the NBA Finals. And it was the Celtics that beat the Magic in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, although Nelson wouldn’t let Orlando go away quietly after falling behind 3-0 with a stirring rally to nearly force another Game 7.

Nelson and the Magic mutually parted ways last June when the veteran point guard wanted to play for a contender again and Orlando looked to transfer the leadership of the team over to young players such as Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo. Nelson, 32, signed with Dallas and he figured he would at least be back in the playoffs with the veteran-laden Mavs.

But all of that changed last Thursday when Dallas jumped at the chance to get all-star point guard Rajon Rondo and they shipped Nelson and others to the Boston Celtics. Just like the previous two seasons in Orlando as the Magic worked to rebuild the team following the defection of Dwight Howard, Nelson is back in a situation with a youth-filled team.

And he’s playing for the Celtics. And he’s wearing green – something that he’s still trying to get used to doing.

``It’s a bit weird, but I’m here,’’ said Nelson, who will be back at the Amway Center on Tuesday when the Celtics (10-15) face the Magic (10-20) at 7 p.m. – his second trip back to Orlando counting his preseason visit with the Mavericks in October. ``I keep telling people I’m trying to compete at a high level and win games.’’

Nelson and Nick Anderson are the only two players in franchise history to spend 10 seasons with the Magic and the veteran point guard is Orlando’s all-time leader in assists with 3,501. Only Anderson (692) played more than in a Magic uniform than Nelson (651). The too-short, pass-first point guard that some experts doubted would last very long in the NBA is still going in his 11th NBA season – even though most are still having trouble getting used to seeing him in Celtics green and not Orlando black and blue.

``He even looks different in green,’’ said Boston forward Brandon Bass, Nelson’s teammate in Orlando from 2009-11. ``He looked different in the Dallas uniform as well. I just know him in from the way he looked in those (Magic) pinstripes.’’

Nelson is long gone from Orlando, but the home-standing Magic could certainly use some of the leadership qualities that he provided from 2004-14. The Magic lost their fourth game in a row on Sunday night to the Philadelphia 76ers in frustrating fashion. Despite leading by 11 points midway through the third quarter, Orlando inexplicably came unglued and got outscored 50-25 over one stretch of the second half to lose 96-88.

The most glaring negative to come from the game for the Magic was the team’s inability to bounce back from adversity that tends to hit teams throughout games. That’s been a troubling trend of late as Orlando squandered a 10-point edge last week in a lopsided loss in Boston, never mounted much of a rally in a home defeat against Utah and fell apart in Sunday’s second half.

``It’s been an issue for us – we just can’t play the right way for 48 minutes,’’ Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. ``We have stretches where we play very well and then we have stretches where we just play bad and let teams go on a run. And once they get on us, they don’t let us come back.’’

Nelson was touched with how the Magic responded to his departure last summer on June 30. The Magic bought up several billboards along I-4 and used the massive message board on the side of the Amway Center to thank Nelson for his 10 years of service. During his time in Orlando, Nelson helped the Magic reach the playoffs six straight years, including the ’09 NBA Finals and the ’10 East Finals.

``That was special and it says a lot about the organization,’’ Nelson said of the billboards. ``The DeVos family, they are at the top of my list in terms of the family and what they have taught me as a man. Mr. DeVos and I had a lot of talks over 10 years, meaningful talks. When somebody like that speaks to you, you listen.’’

When Nelson returned to the Amway Center in October with the Mavericks for a preseason game, he tried to keep things like business as usual. He admitted it felt weird coming into the arena on a bus and dressing in the visiting locker room, but he tried to not overdramatize his return because he has never been an overly sensitive type.

Nelson even missed most of the video tribute shown on the Amway Center’s JumboTron because he was in the huddle with his Dallas teammates paying attention to the set that coach Rick Carlisle was drawing up. But he did hear the cheers from the fans and he said he’d be honored if the Magic were to replay the video on Tuesday night showing him hitting big shots and doing charity work in the community.

``I’ll look at it this time,’’ Nelson said. ``The first time I couldn’t do it because Coach was drawing up a play. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I was supposed to leave the huddle or just look at the play, so I kind of just froze.’’

Upon cutting ties with the Magic, Nelson sold his suburban Orlando house to Channing Frye, Orlando’s power forward, and moved his family to Dallas. He had little warning that he would be dealt by the Mavericks, but Nelson said he took the news a lot more in stride than many of his friends around the NBA and former teammates expected.

``(Getting traded) is part of it. When you are the kid of a NBA player, or wife of any kind of professional athlete, you have to be ready to go. That’s what you signed up for,’’ Nelson said of the surprising trade. ``(Trades) are part of the deal. Some things are out of your control, but you deal with it and make the best of it.’’

Maybe the best part of Nelson’s time was the legacy that he left behind. A respected leader who commanded attention both in the locker room and on the floor with his words and actions, Nelson worked to impart as much wisdom as possible on the Magic’s young players over the last two years. Even today, many of the Magic’s players still speak of Nelson in the highest regard.

Said Magic point guard Victor Oladipo recently: ``He had a huge influence on me. Sitting with him every day in practice and on the team plane he gave me so much information that was helpful and I’m going to use it the rest of my career.’’

Added Magic forward Tobias Harris: ``Being able to play with a guy like that is great for my career. I wish nothing but the best for him going forward.’’
Nelson joked that many of the 20-something-year-old players on the Celtics and Magic don’t remember his college stardom at St. Joe’s or his early heyday with the Magic. But he did admit to being honored that he’s still remembered in Orlando by players here that he touched.

``I wanted to plant seeds, well at least I tried to, here in Orlando, especially with the younger guys,’’ Nelson said. ``They really respected me and looked up to me for everything, even the weirdest little things. It was good to be around those guys to be able to do that.’’

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.