Ex-Orlando Magic Player Ahead Of Kevin Durant On Prestigious Top 25 List

The Orlando Magic had a knack for selecting talent in the early 2000s, illustrated by one of their former guards landing in the top 10 of men's college basketball players in the last 25 years.

Jan 24, 2007; Lincoln, NE, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Kevin Durant (35) looks to the clock with his head coach Rick Barnes in the background against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Texas led at the half 31-28 and won 62-61. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images Copyright (c) 2007 Bruce Thorson | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

Orlando Magic fans likely remember the impact Jameer Nelson had during his 10 seasons. None may be more memorable than 2008-09 when Nelson averaged a career-high 16.7 points while shooting 45.3 percent from long range in the run to the 2009 NBA Finals. However, many fans may not know how dominant he was in college. Recently, The Athletic gave him his flowers for his time at Saint Joseph's. He was ranked No. 6 on the Top 25 college players list since 2000.

"A singular force in the Atlantic 10, Nelson was the national player of the year and a consensus first-team All-American after leading St. Joe's to a 27-0 regular season record," it wrote. "He elevated the Hawks like no previous player had, and came achingly close to the Final Four — his shot at the buzzer against Oklahoma State in an epic Elite Eight game in 2004 fell short. Still, he is the best player in St. Joe's history."

In 125 games with the Hawks, Nelson averaged 16.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Nelson's strong play led the Denver Nuggets to draft him with the 20th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft before immediately trading him to Orlando.

Nelson's decade-long run in Orlando came to an end in 2014 when the Magic decided to waive him. He became a journeyman and even reunited with the Denver Nuggets for nearly three seasons.

Nelson also played with the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans before ending his career with a very brief stint with the Detroit Pistons in 2018.

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