Like LeBron James, Larry Nance Jr. was once “just a kid from Akron.” You see, prior to his days in the NBA, and even prior to his days at the University of Wyoming, Nance Jr. was a solid Cavs fan. And as most hoops fans know, his father, Larry Sr, is known as one of Cleveland’s all-time greats.
After seeing James knock down a game-winning three-pointer in Wednesday night’s Game 5 matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Nance Jr. had a brief spell of déjà vu.
“I was in the building in 2009 when he made that 3-pointer against the (Orlando) Magic,” Nance told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com during his post-game media availability. “It was that exact spot and that exact shot. Especially after that block (tonight), once he let that shot go it was only right. It just seemed right.”
For perspective, let’s take a look at both shots — each remarkable in their own right.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/989324740828581888
“How do you describe something like that? It was really cool,” Nance said. “I am excited to get out of here and talk about it with my family because I am sure they remember it too.
“I have had to watch (LeBron) from afar and kind of keep my celebrations to a minimum (when I was with the Lakers), but being able to be part of this team and being able to celebrate with these guys and the guy that made the shot is pretty cool.
“It was definitely something I had seen before and it was definitely something I think the whole word has seen before,” Nance said in closing, comparing the two shots. “That was why when he let it go, it was like ‘Yep.'”
It seems as though James is on a mission in this series. The three-time champion led all scorers in Wednesday night’s game, racking up 44 points on 14-of-24 shooting from the field (1-of-4 from beyond the arc), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal — all while remaining perfect at the free-throw line (15-of-15).
“The inbounds pass was on a different side of the floor and also I didn’t have a chance to put the ball on the floor,” James said of Wednesday’s game-winning shot. “But it ended up being pretty much in the same spot. Kind of like in the middle of the floor.”
Game 6 is set to tip at 8:00 p.m. EST inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse with ESPN, FOX Sports Ohio and FOX Sports Indiana having live broadcast coverage. Let’s see if the Cavs can keep their momentum rolling.
