Newly-acquired forward Larry Nance Jr. says checking in with the Cavs inside Quicken Loans Arena where his father’s jersey hangs from the rafters was one of the coolest moments in his life.
“It was fun (x2),” Nance said after Thursday night’s 110-103 loss to the Washington Wizards. “Honestly, the second the game got started and I checked in, it didn’t even matter anymore. I was just playing basketball and having fun, but I did hear the crowd when I checked in. Honestly, that was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had in my life.”
As most hoops fans know by now, Nance Jr. became a member of the Cavs organization as a result of the team’s trade deadline deals — the same deals that brought George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Rodney Hood to Northeast Ohio.
Nance Jr, now 25 years of age, has made a noticeable impact on both ends of the floor for Cleveland. The Akron, Ohio native has good size, rebounding skills, and a hankering for thunderous dunks. In his three games played for the Cavs thus far, the former 27th overall pick (2015) has turned in averages of 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.7 minutes.
If you’re an NBA history buff, you’ll know that Nance Jr. is the son of former Cavs great Larry Nance Sr., who won the NBA’s inaugural Dunk Contest in 1984. Prior to Thursday night’s game, news came down the wire stating that Sr.’s No. 22 jersey will be brought out of retirement for his son to wear.
The Cavs, now the third-ranked team in the Eastern Conference standings with a 34-23 overall record, will wrap up their back-to-back set on Friday night with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies inside FedExForum. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST with FOX Sports Ohio and FOX Sports Southeast having live broadcast coverage.