When the Canadian Elite Basketball League season culminates in Winnipeg this weekend, Jameer Nelson Jr. will be one player under the most watchful eyes of fans.
The Calgary Surge’s standout guard has two things going for him in that respect: he’s one of the finest young players — on both ends of the floor — of the four remaining teams. He’s also the namesake of someone who was once a household name among basketball enthusiasts.
His father, Jameer Nelson Sr., carved out a 14-year career in the NBA, being named to the All-rookie team in 2005 and a league all-star in 2009 — the same year he helped lead the Orlando Magic to an appearance in the NBA Finals.
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Calgary Surge guard Jameer Nelson Jr. learned a lot from his father, who was an NBA all-star.
While it’s almost a given the 24-year-old Junior is asked about his dad whenever the topic is basketball, he’s learned to be appreciative of the impact Nelson Sr. had on him and those who watched him.
“When I was a little more ignorant to it, I kind of was just like, ‘Why is everybody talking about this guy?’ But once I got older, I’m super grateful to have somebody like that for people to be talking about, just because they hear my name, they hear his,” Nelson told the Free Press after Wednesday’s practice session.
“It’s super cool just to hear different experiences that they had while watching my dad, or where they were at certain times, or how they felt about his play and stuff like that.”
The 6-1, 190-pound guard is steadfast about creating his own legacy on the court, but is taking the longer road to The League than his father.
Nelson Sr. was a first-round pick out of Saint Joseph’s University. Junior played college at George Washington for two seasons before transferring to Delaware for two years and Texas Christian for one. After going undrafted, he played last season with the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League, something he hopes to do again after he completes his time with the Surge.
Nelson Jr. says he doesn’t compare their careers — although there is a healthy rivalry between them when it comes to comparing skillsets — but rather says he couldn’t have asked for a better role model. Senior was a model of consistency, which is something he instilled in his son from an early age.
“I always saw my dad coming in, barely spending a couple of hours in the house during the day, just because he’s working out,” Nelson Jr. said.
Swimming, boxing, an on-court training session and a second workout were the norm before settling in for the night. Junior watched it every day and, without realizing it, studied it.
“Just to take a little bit of that, like a certain standard of, ‘I know I gotta be in the gym five, six days a week just to get my mental right,’ I feel like it’s something I’m super grateful for, just because it’s something I don’t even notice, because I don’t know anything else,” he said.
“There are other people that have to learn it themselves and to see other people, or maybe they have a big homie that are showing, but I was just able to see it every day.”
Those closest to the young hoopster don’t think he’s far away from making it big.
Nelson Jr. is averaging 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists with Calgary this season, but has cranked it up another notch in the playoffs, leading all players with 32.5 points per game, including a CEBL playoff-record 39-point performance to lift the Surge over the Vancouver Bandits in the Western Conference semifinal.
Head coach Kaleb Canales said after the historic performance he believes Nelson Jr. is “knocking on the door of the NBA,” and doubled down on that sentiment Wednesday.
“Extremely confident. Not soon, I think today. I think he’s knocking on the door. I think when NBA teams evaluate players, they look at players who play both ends of the floor. He’s elite defensively, and he’s elite offensively,” said Canales, who coached Nelson Sr. as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks from 2013-14.
“Just happy for him. We’re spoiled to have him, and we’re going to enjoy him for Friday and, God willing, on Sunday.”
Canales, who has coached several sons of former NBA players, noted there is a pedigree that can often be passed down to the next generation, and that seems to be the case with Nelson Jr.
Nelson Jr. remembers spending time in NBA locker rooms around the same guys he looked up to. He remembers how they spoke, how they carried themselves and even took note of how they were around their own family members.
“I was super spoiled with it,” he said. “I probably could have taken in way more than I was. Probably playing around with people too much and running as a kid.”
Perhaps he picked up more than he thought.
“I like his demeanour,” said teammate Rugzy Miller-Moore. “I like that he doesn’t really care. It sounds kind of weird to say, but sometimes I aspire to be a guy that just kind of takes s— and just lets it go.
“My favourite thing about Jameer is that he’s an even-keeled type of guy. With the Elam time (Target Score Time), he’s going to take his same shots. Doesn’t matter if he went zero-for-10, he’s gonna do his thing, and I think that’s something to be proud of, and it’s a very underrated skill.”
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Nelson Jr. has formed a high-powered backcourt with guard Evan Gilyard II. The duo combined for 68 points in the Western Conference semifinal and will be the key tandem for the Winnipeg Sea Bears to stop in Friday’s conference final at Canada Life Centre (7:30 p.m.).
“Coach has given me a lot of responsibility, and I know my teammates are living and dying with me taking certain shots and me making certain shots,” Nelson Jr. said of his playoff run. “It’s just confidence, honestly.
“I feel like I’ve always had it, but with different roles, you’ve got to be different people and stuff, and I’m able to freely be who I am in this world here, and I’m super grateful for that.”
joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca
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Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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