Growing Up ... Larry Nance Jr.
The High-Flying Scion of a Cavs Legend Looks Back on His Childhood in the Rubber City
by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
2/22/19 | Cavs.com
Larry Nance Jr. readily admits that it wasn’t easy growing up named Larry Nance Jr. in northeast Ohio.
He knows it would be most kids’ dream, being the son of a local legend – and he appreciates and cherishes everything about being a Nance. He even moved back in with his folks for a short time when he returned to Cleveland in a Deadline deal last February.
Nance Jr. comes from a basketball family. His sister, Casey, played for the University of Dayton and his brother Pete suits up for Northwestern.
Nance Jr. – whose father’s name and number hangs in the rafters after seven stellar seasons in Cleveland – starred at Revere High in Akron before playing his college ball in Wyoming. He was tabbed with the 27th overall pick by the Lakers in the 2015 Draft and after two-and-a-half seasons in Tinseltown was traded to the team he grew up living and dying with.
In each of his first three seasons in the league, Nance’s numbers have improved – and he's recorded 12 double-doubles this season. In 2018-19, his role has expanded and is one of the young pieces the Wine & Gold will build around as they reach a new chapter as a franchise.
But for now, the high-flying scion of a Cavaliers icon who’s carved out his own unique path the NBA sat down with Cavs.com to talk about what it was like as a young hoopster in the Rubber City – how he’s fared against his other siblings, his feelings on his dad’s other hobby (drag racing) and, of course, his first dunk in this installment of Growing Up …
So, everybody knows … all the ‘dad’ stuff. My mom, she is the least competitive person I've ever met – ever.
We'll be playing board games … at home and she's like: "I don't care, just let them win." Meanwhile, the rest of us are FIGHTING each other trying to win!
So, I definitely didn't get … the athletic, competitive nature from her. And everyone in Cleveland knows the competitive nature of my dad’s side.
My sister, Casey … played four years at the University of Dayton.
My sister was always … bigger, stronger and better than me at everything, even until she left the house.
She was senior and I was a freshman in high school … and I still couldn't really compete – not even a hope.
And she didn't … take it easy on me. She was way stronger, way bigger. It was just not fair.
But eventually, once she went off to school … and I got bigger and healthier and stronger, my little brother Pete hasn't won anything to this day – and neither has she.
Once I once I got bigger … to this day I'm still the reigning household champ -- at virtually everything.
Pete is thinking he’s … coming up to take that from me. He's got me in height but nothing else. At no point will he beat me.
My sister’s game … was strictly a post game – throw it in to her, dribble-dribble hook shot; good, solid, shot-blocking defense.
My game is kind of like a bridge … between my little brother and sister – I like to handle, just a little bit, and I like to play-make, just a little bit, and I can still put it on the ground in the post a little bit.
And then my little brother, Pete … is not even a "Nance." He wants to shoot pull-up jumpers and threes and handle off the pick-and-roll. I don't know where that came from, but he's the polar opposite of my sister.
My earliest Cavs memories … were maybe early-Andy, late-Big Z.
Obviously, I remember guys like … DeSagana Diop. Guys like Ricky Davis, Darius Miles. I remember those guys.
I even have a … placard of Lamond Murray.
But my REAL memories … were of Andy and those early LeBron teams. I remember the Shaq years as well. I remember getting to hang around the locker room a little bit and seeing those guys -- and they were just larger than life.
There were times, I’ve been … a little star-struck. Playing with LeBron is pretty awesome. Getting to play with Kobe was awesome and just seeing Shaq, anytime, is unreal.
"Growing up, having the name "Larry Nance Jr."… in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio – that's not the easiest thing, especially when I wasn't very good at basketball. So there was a good amount of pressure."
Cavaliers forward/center Larry Nance Jr.
During the offseason, my dad … would always have guys out to our place to fish – and one of them, a guy who turned out to be my assistant coach in L.A. – Paul Pressey. He was always at our house fishing, just catching and releasing and just sitting out there relaxing. And when I got drafted … by the Lakers, I was like: 'Hey -- I know you.'
I definitely got the love … of fishing from my dad. So, yes, fishing took hold. But, I have zero interest to drag racing. My mom has talked a little bit of sense into me on that subject. I have no interest in going over 100 miles an hour. I'm good.
I'll watch … my dad mess with the dragsters. I'll watch him all day. I'm not getting in the car.
The other sports I played were … soccer – I played soccer forever. And then a little baseball and a little track.
In baseball … I was a fantastic right fielder. There was a reason I played right field.
When we played when we were younger … it wasn't like: 'OK, you're the 1, you're the 5 ...'. It was just kind of like they throw the ball out there and kids run around and play.
I was usually one of the bigger kids on the floor … so I was around the basket most of the time.
I had my biggest growth spurt … from sophomore year in high school to, probably, my senior year.
I went from … around 5-10 to 6-7. So yeah, I had the big 'Osgood-Schlatter's growing out of my knees. It was a pretty serious growth spurt.
Growing up, having the name "Larry Nance Jr." … in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio – that's not the easiest thing, especially when I wasn't very good at basketball. So there was a good amount of pressure.
I had several conversations … with my parents about potentially wanting to quit. It was tough.
In the conversations I had ... with my folks, saying like: "I think I might want to be done.' They would always say, "Hey, this not what you have to do. Whatever you feel like doing – go to school, get your degree, get your education and then after that if, you want to get away from basketball, do it.'
When it comes to the Nance family … this is something we like to do. Not something we're forced to do.
But the older I got … the bigger I got, the better I got. And those kids who were beating me in middle school, when I played them in high school, I usually got the last laugh.
Naturally, I remember … my first dunk. It was my junior year against Copley High School.
It was on … a fast break. My teammate and I were on the break and he shuffle-passed it to me and I think I’ve still got the stills of me going up!
That was the first time … I dunked in a game and that opened the floodgates. The team went nuts. I was I was just trying to get another one.
After I got the first one … it was like: 'Oh yeah, I'm gonna make up for lost time!'