Paul Westhead ’61 and Jameer Nelson ’18, men’s basketball alumni, were inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame at a dinner reception at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, Nov. 7.

 Nelson attended St. Joe’s from 2000-2004 after graduating from Chester High School, where he first started playing basketball. He returned to St. Joe’s in 2018 to complete his degree. During his time as a Hawk, he had a standout career and is recognized as one of the program’s most influential players.

Nelson became St. Joe’s all-time leading scorer with 2,094 points. He was a three-time All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection and earned a number of accolades, including National Freshman of the Year in 2001 and National Player of the Year 2004. His number, 14, was retired by St. Joe’s in April 2004 in recognition of his achievements at St. Joe’s.

Reflecting on his journey, Nelson credits Phil Martelli, St. Joe’s men’s basketball head coach from 1995 to 2019, for instilling a work ethic that influenced his success in both his collegiate and professional careers.

“Coach Martelli instilled the hard work, the grit and how to handle adversity as a player and as a student,” Nelson said. “He promised he could help shape me into the person I am now, and kept his promise.”

Nelson said his favorite memory as a Hawk was at his senior night on Hawk Hill, where he and his fellow seniors chose to play the last home game on campus rather than at an off campus venue.

“It’s just one of the things we wanted to do, to give back to the fans and to the community of St. Joes,” Nelson said. “I just think it was the right thing to do. I think that was one of my favorite moments.” 

The Denver Nuggets selected Nelson in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft, with the 20th overall pick, before then trading him to the Orlando Magic, where he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Nelson went on to play for six different teams during his 15-year NBA career and became an NBA All-Star in 2009 while with the Magic. 

Westhead grew up in Philadelphia and played basketball at West Catholic High School. He was on the men’s basketball team from 1958 to 1961 when Jack Ramsay ’49 was the head coach. After graduating from St. Joe’s, Westhead went on to coach at the collegiate and professional levels for over 40 years. 

Westhead is best known for his innovative coaching style and championship success, especially during his time as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the NBA championship in 1980. Westhead’s coaching career began at Cheltenham High School in Montgomery county, before working as head coach at La Salle University from 1970 to 1979.

During his time as head coach at Loyola Marymount University, Westhead implemented his signature “speed” game style, which earned him recognition and helped guide the team to an NCAA tournament appearance.

Although his career stretched across multiple programs and professional teams, he said his time at St. Joe’s left a lasting impact on his career, especially playing under Ramsay. 

“Anything you learn from Ramsay stays forever. He taught me how to play and helped me with coaching basketball,” Westhead said. “I owe everything to Ramsay and the St. Joe’s program.”