FILE – In this Feb. 17, 2018, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Larry Nance Jr. competes in the slam dunk contest, part of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. Nance has run into an unexpected snag since joining the Cavaliers. “Trying to convince my mom that I’m not living at home,” he said, smiling. “We’re out looking for rental properties and stuff like that and she’s like, ‘Oh, our basement is pretty nice.’ That’s probably been the toughest thing.” Nance wore his dad’s Phoenix jersey and replicated the same dunk Larry Nance Sr. did while winning the inaugural dunk contest in 1984. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
CLEVELAND — Larry Nance Jr. will wear his father’s retired No. 22 with the Cavaliers.
The forward announced Thursday night that the NBA has worked it out so he can switch from No. 24 to his dad’s No. 22 starting next week. Nance Jr. was recently acquired by Cleveland in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nance Jr. said he’s thrilled to have the chance to honor his father, who spent eight seasons with the Cavs. A team spokesman said the league understood the special circumstances surrounding the number and its significance to the Nance family and agreed the change should take place.
Larry Nance Sr.’s jersey was retired by the Cavs in 1995.
The younger Nance wore his father’s No. 22 Phoenix jersey last weekend when he participated in the dunk contest at the All-Star Game. Nance Jr. joked that he also plans to wear tight shorts and high white socks the rest of this season.