Pros Tyler Nelson and L.J. Figueroa have a long history of hooping in the Merrimack Valley.
Nelson, who grew up in Bradford, played at Central Catholic and Figueroa, a Boys Club alum, played at Lawrence High before prep schools in Florida.
They apparently faced off against each other once or twice in high school.
Nelson, a senior, at the time, was the best player in the state. Figueroa, a sophomore, rode the bench.
Well, they were in the same gym again, a decade later.
But this wasn’t Cedardale, the Boys Club or some random high school or college gym.
These dudes faced off in Ulm, Germany on Sunday, about 3,800 miles, as the crow flies, from the Merrimack Valley.
Nelson is in his third year with the Rostock Seawolves and Figueroa, a rookie with the Ratiopharm Ulm, both of Germany’s top pro league, Basketball Bundesliga.
The game was in Ulm and Nelson took an 11-hour bus trip for this Merrimack Valley matchup.
“Crazy, you think that we would’ve played against each other at some point, several times,” said Nelson. “But we were chatting before the game, and he told me about being on the bench for Lawrence when I was a senior. But I’ve followed him a bit. He’s a big kid, a big athletic guy. I was impressed.”
Nelson, the all-time leading scorer at Fairfield University, played parts of two seasons in the NBA’s G-League on the east coast while Figueroa, who played at St. John’s (3 years) and Oregon, spent a year on a Dominican pro team and two seasons on the west coast with the Warriors and Lakers affiliates.
With no NBA offers looming, both have earned more than two times what the G-League offers, which is about $40,000 for most players.
And there is a difference on the court, as well, apparently.
Nelson is 12th in scoring with 15.6 points and top five in 3-point percentage (40.8). The 6-foot-6 Figueroa is averaging 13.2 points per game.
“The G-League is more up and down, more athletic,” said Nelson. “Europe is more half-court. It’s an adjustment. He’s figuring it out. L.J. is good. It’s his third year out of college. He’s got a nice upside.”
When their teams met on Sunday, Ulm, the defending champs, was tied with the best record at 8-1. Nelson’s Rostock squad was 3-6.
Nelson helped buck the odds, nailing five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points in Rostock’s upset win, 107-89. Figueroa, who started the game, scored eight points.
“We have a good team but our point guard, who is really good, has been out with a ligament injury and it’s been a tough,” said Nelson. “We needed this win badly. We need to turn the corner and get some more consistency.”
While league play is off two weeks, there will be about four games in a European Cup tournament, similar to what the NBA is doing now, to keep them busy.
There are 18 teams in the league. The bottom two, at the end of the year, drop to the second division. It was a big tournament two 18 months ago, by Nelson, that elevated Rostock to the top division.
“That’s a big deal, staying in the first division, and competing for a championship,” said Nelson, referring to the eight-team playoffs in May. “I’m really like it here. L.J. said his situation is good, too. This is good basketball and I feel like I’m still improving. And I love the Rostock area. I have no complaints.”
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.