If you missed it, the Orlando Magic are planning on putting Shaquille O’Neal into their franchise Hall of Fame. O’Neal will become the third member of the Magic family to be bestowed with the honor, following co-founder Pat Williams and Nick Anderson in going into their hall. Obviously as time goes on, more people affiliated with the franchise will be going into the hall as well.
That’s why I’m here to lobby for former point guard Jameer Nelson to be the next player who goes into the hall.
Now, there are probably more deserving names that you would think deserve to be brought up first. Two spring to mind right away for me, and the first is former head coach Stan Van Gundy. You could absolutely argue he should go in next, given the big impact he had on this organization.
I'm not sure Shaq should be in the #Magic Hall of Fame, but it's funny they're doing it when Stan Van Gundy is in town.
— Carson Ingle (@caingle) March 12, 2015
He brought this team back to the NBA Finals after O’Neal initially did it in 1995. Although both were unsuccessful in bringing a title back to Orlando, when you consider how young this franchise still is, it was a remarkable achievement. Both men were at the forefront of their respective team’s efforts to win it all, and both deserve to go in for that reason.
Even if it didn’t exactly end smoothly for either man with the Magic.
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Dwight Howard is of course the third individual who could realistically go in tomorrow. I’m fine with that as well, I just have one problem. Although I’m over him leaving the team, and actually think it was a blessing in disguise as he’s never been the same player, let’s just wait a couple more years before putting him in there.
Which brings us to former point guard Jameer Nelson. Now, if ever there was a dependable guy who was minimal fuss and gave his all for the team, it was this guy. He has plenty going for him in terms of why he should eventually go into the hall, but I’ll start outside the box and work my way back in.
Of all the people mentioned here, Nelson is the only one who left the team on good terms. O’Neal left for the Lakers and broke hearts, ditto Howard, in what was a horribly messy divorce. Van Gundy wasn’t on that level, but talking about potential problems with himself and Howard surely didn’t help his cause before he was fired. It also led to this now legendary footage.
I’ve watched it so many times, and still cringe for large parts of the video. In hindsight, it was the beginning of the wheels coming off for that incarnation of the Magic.
As for Nelson? He always played hard, and was even named an All-Star in 2009. When the team was contending he was always a serviceable point guard. Quite often he played like a star as well, although his prime didn’t seem to last terribly long. Always steady, occasionally spectacular, Nelson was a fan favorite for a reason.
He was the heart and soul of those playoff teams, and he’s also the all time assists leader in Magic history (3,501) which helps his cause. Even better? When Howard did leave town, Nelson never complained about spending what at the time looked like his remaining years in this league on a rebuilding project.
He was always active in the community as well, and had an infectious enthusiasm to him.
Another plus for him is the manner in which he left the team. From the outside, it seemed that an agreement was made between player and team that suited both. Nelson was freed in order to join a contending team, and he landed with the Dallas Mavericks.
Orlando Magic Daily
Before the trade deadline he ended up in an even more unstable condition than Orlando, though, as he is now with the Denver Nuggets.
For the team, well he was able to pass on all he could to rookie Victor Oladipo last year, before making way so that incoming rookie this season Elfrid Payton could eventually take over the starting roll. So, despite what has happened to Nelson recently, everybody won at the time. Leaving the team like that is something none of the above mentioned can truly say.
For me personally, I have nothing but fond memories of Jameer Nelson donning an Orlando Magic uniform. At no point was he ever the best point guard in the NBA, although in 2009 he may have been top five on any given night. Still though, he was the guy who was always there, always working hard. At all points of his career in Orlando, there were better players on the roster.
But it is also true he made the likes of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter better as well with his style of play.
When they are deciding the next player to go into their hall, this guy just absolutely has to be near the top of the list for all he did, both on the court and off. As for a statue outside the arena though? Let’s hold up on that. What do you think though? Is Nelson the next best candidate to go in, or should it be somebody else?
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