DeMarcus De’Juan Nelson was born November 2, 1985, in Oakland, California. His father Ron was a pastor who grew up playing basketball on the streets of Richmond. His mother Denise was a hair stylist. Ron had been offered a chance to play professionally in Switzerland but chose family instead. When DeMarcus was in sixth grade, his father took him from Vallejo’s local tournaments to Oakland’s courts, and the boy dominated everywhere.
At Vallejo High School, Nelson became a phenomenon. Fans lined up outside Bottari Gym to watch him play. He played three years at Vallejo before his family moved to Sacramento, finishing his senior year at Sheldon High. Over four years he scored 3,462 career points — the all-time record in California boys basketball history. California Mr. Basketball 2004. Second-team Parade All-American. McDonald’s All-American. His father said DeMarcus might even have been a better football player, but he gave up football to protect against injury.
At the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game — Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge, J.R. Smith — Nelson wasn’t named a starter. He took it personally. Entered midway through, scored 22 — second-highest in the game.
Growing up, he was an Arizona fan who didn’t like Duke — games came on too late on the West Coast. But when he visited Durham, they showed him a video of Jay Williams. “I just felt like I could have that same type of impact, and it would be no better platform.” He committed as a sophomore in 2002, planning to stay two or three years. He stayed all four.