Road to Duke
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.
At Duke
Nelson’s four years at Duke (2004–08) tested him in ways he never anticipated. Freshman: energy off the bench, 6.2/4.5 in 33 games. Then a torn thumb ligament and chipped bone in preseason. Another injury derailed a Team USA opportunity. The kid who planned to leave after two years kept getting knocked down and kept getting up.
Junior year: emerged as a starter, 14.4/5.1, playing 30+ minutes alongside Paulus and McRoberts. The injuries had sharpened his toughness. “The fear of failure is a good thing. It drove me to try to be as perfect as possible.”
Senior year, 2007–08: the culmination. Named sole team captain — the only captain on the roster. Averaged 14.5/5.8, led the team in scoring and steals. ACC Defensive Player of the Year. First Team All-ACC. ACC All-Tournament. Third Team All-American. The best defender in the conference, the leader of the program, the player who stayed when leaving would have been easier.
He was also the godfather to his Vallejo coach Duke Brown’s son — the infant who died at two months old. When Brown was grieving, Nelson called every morning and every evening. Not because he had to, but because he was a deeply caring person.
After Duke
Despite ACC DPOY and Third Team All-American honors, Nelson was not drafted. The injuries had shaped how scouts evaluated him. The Golden State Warriors signed him September 9, 2008. On opening night, Nelson started — the first undrafted rookie to start on opening night in NBA history. Playing for his hometown team, friends and family in the stands. He appeared in 13 games (4.1 PPG) before being waived in January 2009.
Brief stints with Chicago and Milwaukee. Then overseas — where he thrived. Israel, Serbia, Spain, Monaco, France, Germany. In November 2013, playing for Crvena zvezda Belgrade alongside Boban Marjanovic, he was named EuroLeague MVP for Round 4. Selected to the ABA League Ideal Team. Obtained Serbian citizenship in 2014.
His finest chapter: ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in France (2016–19). He helped win the LNB Pro A championship in 2019 and was named Finals MVP. Also won the French Cup that year. The undrafted kid from Vallejo had won championships and MVP awards on three continents. He retired in December 2020.
Where Is He Now
DeMarcus Nelson lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. On January 22, 2025, Vallejo High School retired his #21 jersey — the first jersey retirement in the school’s 150-year history. In 2024, he was inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame. “Most of this record is Vallejo’s. It’s still my hometown and the people there can take most of the credit.”
DeMarcus Nelson was born in Oakland, the son of a pastor from Richmond who chose family over playing professionally in Switzerland. He grew up in Vallejo, where fans lined up outside Bottari Gym. He scored 3,462 points — the most in California history. He was the McDonald’s All-American who wasn’t named a starter and scored 22 with a chip on his shoulder. He grew up an Arizona fan who didn’t like Duke until they showed him a Jay Williams video and he saw himself. He planned to stay two years. He stayed four. He tore a ligament as a freshman. He kept getting up. He was ACC Defensive Player of the Year and sole captain. He called his coach every morning and night when the coach’s infant son died. He was undrafted. He started on opening night for the Warriors anyway — first undrafted player in NBA history to do so. He played in five countries. He was EuroLeague MVP. He won the French championship and was named Finals MVP. Vallejo retired his jersey — the first in 150 years. “The fear of failure is a good thing,” DeMarcus Nelson says. “It drove me to try to be as perfect as possible.” Perfectly imperfect, relentlessly tough, and forever Vallejo’s own.