Former UCLA Basketball Player Reeves Nelson Changes His Name

Former UCLA Basketball player Reeves Nelson has officially changed his name to Sophaur One.  Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Borenstein approved the power forward’s request for a name change just a couple days ago.

Former Modesto Christian High (CA) standout Reeves Nelson has officially changed his full name to Sophaur One.  Nelson was highly-touted big man coming out of high school, being ranked the #23 Power Forward, and #72 overall recruit (per 247 Sports) in the Class of 2009.  Nelson picked playing for the UCLA Bruins over USC, Arizona, Duke, and North Carolina .

Nelson played in 28 games for the Bruins his freshman year, averaging just over 11 points per game.  Nelson did not appear in the national spotlight until his sophomore year.

His minutes played increased gradually, and he began to stuff the stat sheet.  He averaged just under 14 points per game in 34 games played.

More from Go Joe Bruin

• UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

Nelson did not aim to average big-time numbers.  He brought a tenacity to the court that was very uncommon.  He attacked the boards, dove head-first for loose balls, and even had to leave games due to injuries coming from his hard-nosed play.

Nelson’s UCLA career came to a halt early in the 2011-2012 season.  He was suspended on multiple occasions for being late to team meetings and flights, and for disrespectful behavior.

Former Head Coach Ben Howland described the situation as “a violation of UCLA student-athlete code of conduct.” The result was Nelson making national headlines, appearing in Sports Illustrated and USA Today articles.

After being dismissed from the UCLA Basketball team, Nelson signed a contract overseas to play for Žalgiris Kaunas, a Lithuanian professional basketball team.  Similar to UCLA, Zalgiris dismissed the Forward after just six games as well.

Nelson decided to return to the US and declare for the 2012 NBA Draft. However, he went undrafted, and never had the career many thought he would, due to disciplinary problems.

Next: Can Steve Alford Improve The Defense?

Nelson described the change of his name as a “fresh start” for him.  He also followed to say, “my life has led me to know that this is my true name.”