(Ep026) Larry Nance Jr: How Hustle and Hard Work Earned Him NBA Minutes, What Battling Crohn's Disease Has Taught Him, and How We Went from High School JV to D1 Basketball
Few families can boast of one person competing in the NBA Dunk Contest, but the Nances have two: Larry Nance Sr beat Dr. J in 1984 and his son, Larry Nance Jr finished second in 2018. The latter currently plies his basketball trade for the New Orleans Pelicans after they acquired him from the Portland Trailblazers just before the trade deadline in February 2022. Beforehand, the Cavs had inked Larry to a four-year, $44.8 million contract.
Previously, Nance played for three and half seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, who selected him with the 27th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. He earned this first-round status with a stellar career at the University of Wyoming, where he led the Cowboys to their first ever NCAA Tournament berth and was named 2× First-team All-MWC, MWC Defensive Player of the Year,, and 2× MWC All-Defensive Team. Beyond the accolades, Larry had to fight hard to live with Crohn’s Disease, which stunted his growth as a teenager before the condition was diagnosed.
In this episode, listen to Larry share about:
What it was like growing up as the son of an NBA legend
Why being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease marked a turning point and a growth spurt
How he earned a scholarship despite his medical condition and only playing JV as a junior
What happened in his Lakers pre-draft workout that prompted the team to draft him
Who gave him the secret to making it in the NBA
Keep up with Larry on his Instagram feed and support the great work of his foundation, Athletes vs. Crohn's & Colitis, on their website.
