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Former NBA Guard Jameer Nelson Joins Sixers Front Office

Former St. Joes star and NBA guard Jameer Nelson landed a job in the Sixers' front office for the 2020-2021 season.

Justin Grasso

Before he ever made it to the NBA, Jameer Nelson was a popular name around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Back in 2000, the Chester-born guard had NBA aspirations as he geared up for his collegiate career at St. Joseph's University in Philly. 

After a successful college stint, Nelson entered the 2004 NBA Draft and was selected 20th overall by the Orlando Magic. Over the course of a 14-year career, Nelson played for the Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Detroit Pistons. He called it a career after his 2018 run.

Lately, Nelson has worked as a college basketball analyst for CBS Sports, but now the Philly legend is looking to get into the business side of basketball -- and his hometown team is giving him his first shot.

On Tuesday night, NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark reported the Sixers planned to hire Nelson for the 2020-2021 season as a scout. Nelson will also have the title of Assistant General Manager for the Sixers' G League affiliates, the Delaware Blue Coats. 

While Nelson's hiring in Philly comes as somewhat of a shock, the former NBA guard has been planning a future in an NBA front office for quite some time now. Back in March, Nelson told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Noah Levick he was looking into becoming a coach or a GM in the future.

Last year, Nelson attempted to acquire a coaching job at his alma mater, St. Joe's, but he lost out on the job to Billy Lange. While Nelson was disappointed, he wasn't bitter. Now, a year later, he's back in the NBA working on the business side of hoops.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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