NELSON STEPS UP FOR FIBA ALL STARS

Nelson, who was the 'face of basketball' for London 2012 after appearing in the official Programme, is the first Brit to be named on the reserve panel for the game which sees 24 of the best U18 players from the 2013 Youth European Championships come together.

The England U18 from South West London is currently on a basketball scholarship at the University of California Irvine, getting ready for his freshman season and will only travel to Slovenia should one of the 24 players not be available, however the recognition is still a huge credit to the 18 year old.

"It's a great honour to be selected as a reserve for such a prestigious event. This event has seen many current NBA players compete previously, and to say I am a reserve is great," he said.

During the European Championships earlier this year he contributed an impressive 19 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists, earning him selection for the All Star game reserves list.

Nelson added: "England's win over Spain during the European Championships was a big highlight for me as it was my best game of the tournament (29 points, six rebounds and five assists). It felt so good to beat one of the powerhouses of European basketball and to have played really well against them feels amazing.

"The way we performed as a team throughout the game is something for me and the rest of my England teammates to be very proud of. We went through ups and downs, but we showed great resilience to come back and win in overtime."

Nelson is from a basketball family with his sister Kyla Nelson competing for England U16 in the European Championship Women Division B in August, while his father Steve was also a former international, representing England 18 times.

The FIBA U18 All Star Game 2013 tips off at 12:00 in Stozice Arena, Ljubljana on the 21 September which is game day for 5th-8th place of EuroBasket 2013.