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12 June 2026  6 min read

Following the family path: Luke Nelson, basketball legacy and GB's next challenge

Long before he became one of Great Britain's most accomplished players, a veteran of some of Europe's top leagues and a leader within the national team set-up, he was a young boy running around local gyms, following in the footsteps of his father, former British basketball professional Steve Nelson.

"My dad played professionally, so I was around the game from a young age," Nelson recalled. "My earliest memory of anything basketball-related was just playing in the garden with him."

There are other memories too. One family favourite has survived the years.

"As for my first time playing properly in local league, I just remember the blue floor and a story I'm always told about how during the jump ball I just ran around the centre circle non-stop for some reason!"

Those early days laid the foundations for what would become one of British basketball's most successful modern careers, but the 30-year-old is quick to point out that his journey was never mapped out for him.

In fact, basketball was not even his only sporting love growing up.

"I didn't really commit fully to basketball until I was 13," he said. "Until then I was 50/50 between this and football. We would have games on Saturdays and I'd alternate between basketball one weekend and football the next.

"I got to the point where I just wasn't enjoying football, felt like I wasn't doing anything new or improving, whereas with basketball it was the opposite."

"Basketball became my preference entirely of my own choosing, and looking back on it I really appreciate that because it would've been easy for my dad to push me and hope for me to play the sport he played, but he never did. I'm grateful for that because I found and developed my love for it in my own way."

That approach would become a hallmark of the veteran guard’s development. Rather than becoming consumed by distant ambitions, he focused on the next challenge in front of him.

"When I was younger, and I've tried to do the same throughout my life, I just approached things one step at a time," he explained. "That next step when I was 13 was to play for England, then after that my only focus was college, then I didn't think about turning pro until my last year of that experience."

While his father’s influence was always present, Nelson never felt burdened by comparisons.

"He'd always give feedback, that was never something he didn't do, and I always have and will appreciate that. I don't think I ever actively thought, 'Oh, my dad went pro so I can too'. I just got sucked up in my own journey and playing the game with a sole focus on the fact that I was enjoying it.

"My dad's journey and mine were very different. He grinded his way from being a young player in the British Basketball League to what he became later on whereas I was out of the country by 18 playing in America, so there were big differences."

Today, the Nelson family's influence on British basketball stretches even further. Alongside Steve's long-standing involvement in the game and Luke's professional career across Europe, sister Kyla Nelson has recently stepped into a professional head coaching role of her own.

It's a unique family connection that continues to evolve.

"We don't get to spend a lot of time together because of the lives we live doing our own things, but whenever I'm back home it's always positive. We don't necessarily talk a lot about basketball or watch games together, we more just talk about our own experiences."

Those conversations have become increasingly fascinating as all three continue carving out their own paths within the sport.

"Kyla, of course, this season has become a head coach so when I've been home recently we've talked a lot about that, how she's feeling, what she's learning and all that. Then I have my own experiences in Europe and my dad is still in the game as well so we all have our own perspectives."

Watching his sister's development has been particularly rewarding.

"Last time I was home in November I got to watch one of her practices and watching her team play on YouTube a few weeks later I could see what they were practicing coming to life in the game, so that was special."

Now, Luke's attention turns back to the international stage as Great Britain prepare for the final window of the first phase of qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The challenge is a significant one, with a trip to face Lithuania before returning home to Manchester to take on Iceland, but it is a challenge the Briton embraces with confidence after encouraging performances throughout the campaign.

"We've seen that we can compete with these teams. We've already proven it. We know where we're at and we know what we need to do. We've just got to build on what we've already shown in this campaign and focus on taking steps forward.

"I've known a lot of these guys for a long time now so getting back into that environment always really excites me, regardless of who we play or where we're playing."

And against Lithuania, there is unfinished business.

"We've got to take the positives out of the performance in November because we were dominating large portions of the game, so we know we can do it and this time it's about going that one step further and securing the result we want."

Then comes the opportunity to return to Manchester and play in front of a home crowd.

"Before we go back to Manchester for the first time in many years, we have the opportunity to win in front of our home fans."

For a player whose journey began on local courts, guided by a father who loved the game and now shared with a sister helping shape the next generation, it feels fitting that another important chapter will be written back on home soil.

The Nelson name has been woven through British basketball for decades. This summer, Luke has the chance to add another chapter.

Watch Nelson and GB take on Iceland

Image credits - FIBA