Shortly after Sunday’s Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert shared a bit of good news with his followers on Twitter. Dan’s son, Nick, will once again serve as Cleveland’s representative in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery.
“News of the @cavs death was greatly exaggerated,” Gilbert wrote. “Making it more special was being there w/gritty Nick G. for the BIG WIN. In just 16 days we are counting on him bringing that same luck to the NBA lottery where he will rep us for the 5th time. Could he defy the odds once again?!”
In February, Nick was finally allowed to come home after spending 38 days in post-surgery recovery. Nick was born with neurofibromatosis, which is a nerve disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body, including the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. There is no known prevention or cure, however, surgery can be performed to remove tumors that have become problematic or cancerous. February was at least his second brain surgery to treat a tumor.
“No words strong enough to thank Dr. Ian Lee & Dr. Steve Kalkanis along with the entire Henry Ford Hospital’s leading-edge neurosurgeon team whose innovative approaches are winning the fight vs brain tumors including my son Nick, who after 38 days came home today!” Gilbert wrote in a tweet.
After his surgery in February, Nick’s first question was to ask if the Cavs had beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder. They did, which brought a huge smile to his face.
Serving as an honorary representative, Nick became a bit of a good luck charm for the Cavs during the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery, where his flashy bowtie may or may not have aided the franchise in being awarded the No. 1 overall pick.
With Sunday’s win, the Cavs are now through to the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, where they’ll face the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 is set to tip inside the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST with TNT having live broadcast coverage.