Even had he not been selected as an All Star, there's every chance Jameer Nelson would have been jetting to Phoenix next week for the NBA's annual mid-season jamboree. The Orlando Magic point guard was there in New Orleans 12 months ago, to make a cameo appearance during the Dunk Contest when he threw the ball into the air for his team-mate – and best mate – Dwight Howard to slam with the kind of power that we should be trying to recycle to prevent global warming.
Every Batman requires a Robin. Or Superman, in the case of Howard, who has yet to reveal whether he'll be donning a red cape again for this year's competition. However, that Nelson's season has been determined stellar enough in its own right to merit a place among the 24 grandees of the league is a personal triumph. It is recognition – by the coaches who voted him as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad – of his role in the Magic's run to the top of their division. But you have to ask: would he be Arizona-bound without the aid of his high-flying chum? Quite probably not.
The NBA has always concocted fame by association. Scottie Pippen proved himself a magnificent talent when Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls. With such an effective sidekick, MJ might never have picked up all those rings in Chicago. Would Pip have become, arguably, the second-most famous player on the planet if he'd been dropped alongside Derrick Coleman? Fate plays its part. And Pippen's good fortune took him to seven All Star appearances and should, deservedly, earn him a first-ballot entry into the Hall of Fame next year.
Some are born great. Others have greatness rub off upon them. Nick Van Exel went to the All Star game in 1998, largely because he was feeding an at-his-peak Shaquille O'Neal at the Lakers. Individually, his finest moment may have come when Jay-Z name-checked his 'rock handle' during Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love'. Most remember 'X' more for his attitude than his armoury of skills. Patrick Ewing took New York Knicks's cohorts John Starks and Mark Jackson on his coat-tails to an All Star appearance apiece, so too Charles Barkley for Hersey Hawkins in Philly. In 1992, it took a truly collaborative effort to earn Jeff Hornacek a summons. "He wasn't the most God-given talent kind of guy, jumping higher, running faster," remarked his Utah Jazz team-mate Karl Malone who, along with John Stockton, was a more regular attendee at the showpiece.
No matter. Because that's what great players such as Malone, Jordan, O'Neal and now Howard, do. They elevate those around them. Or at least those, like Nelson, who are willing to rise up and accept the challenge. When Magic general manager Otis Smith handed him a five-year deal worth $40m last summer, ditching veteran playmakers Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo in the process, many wondered if he could run a top-level team. There had been too much inconsistency during his first four seasons in the NBA. "I've been doubted all my life," said Nelson, who stands just 6ft tall. "Too small. Shoot-first point guard. Can't play in the NBA. Whatever. And I think there still will be doubters. But I always had confidence. I never lost confidence." The pressure that comes with responsibility lit a fire within.
On Monday night though, the former St. Joseph's standout dislocated and tore his shoulder in a loss to Dallas. The initial prognosis is that he may miss weeks, if not the rest of the campaign if surgery is deemed necessary. Personally, I'm rooting for a miracle recovery. Not because I think Nelson, who is averaging 17 points and 5.5 assists, is among the four best guards in the entire Eastern Conference. Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and José Calderon all have stronger claims. But because, in the NBA as in life, it's not about getting the shot. It's about making it.
Many who have come into the NBA with reputations and egos bloated by adulation in their teens have failed to realise that not everyone can be the star. Sometimes though, exploiting your own niche brings the compensation of a place among the All Stars.
Offensive Rebounds
• Ahead of All Star, the NBA is slated to confirm which teams will play a pre-season contest at London's 02 Arena in late October. Given the new edict from Commissioner David Stern that gives him the final say on who takes part in the Europe Live tour, it seems all but certain that the Chicago Bulls will be sent to Blighty to capitalise on Luol Deng's celebrity (kind of) in his hometown. Last year, the Bulls rejected a request to take part, citing contractual commitments with long-standing hosts of their exhibition schedule. Although league sources confirmed that "the final details and contracts are still being finished up", Utah and Indiana are also probable candidates to cross the Atlantic, with games also likely to be staged in Berlin, Paris and Madrid.
• Still also to be finalised is whether Euroleague teams will travel to North America, as last year, to take part in friendlies against their NBA counterparts. "We have had discussions," said a Euroleague spokesperson, "but nothing has been decided yet." The format of pitting Europe against the NBA on European soil was abandoned last year in the interests of a slimmed down schedule.
• As forecast, Great Britain forward Pops Mensah Bonsu has re-surfaced in the NBA D-League, albeit following a late reshuffle at the Austin Toros. In his first two games since returning from a shoulder injury, the Londoner has averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds. Those kinds of numbers should keep him firmly on the radar of NBA scouts and on course for a swift return to the league.
