Larry Donnell Nance Sr. (born February 12, 1959) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. A forward from

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

, Nance played 13 seasons (1981–1994) in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA) as a member of the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a three-time

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

College career

Nance played for the

Clemson Tigers The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) s ...

, who made it to the Elite Eight in his junior year.

Professional career

Phoenix Suns (1981-1988)

Nance scored 15,687 career points and grabbed 7,067 career rebounds, but he is perhaps best known as the first winner of the

NBA Slam Dunk Contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime inventio ...

in 1984, earning him the nickname "The High-Ayatolla of Slamola". Nance was a model of consistency throughout his NBA career. He averaged over 16 points and 8 rebounds per game for all eleven seasons as a starter. His best scoring average year was in the 1986–1987 NBA season, where he averaged 22.5 points per game. Always among the highest in field goal percentage, Nance was an excellent mid-range shooter as well as a talented inside player. Nance was involved in a trade between the Suns and the Cavaliers in 1988. Nance's stint in Phoenix came to an end on February 25, 1988, when, with the Suns struggling to a 16–35 mark, he was traded with Mike Sanders and Detroit's No. 1 pick in 1988 (used to pick

Randolph Keys Randolph Keys (born April 19, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player who played five National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons in his career for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwauke ...

) to Cleveland for Kevin Johnson, Mark West,

Tyrone Corbin Tyrone Kennedy Corbin (born December 31, 1962) is an American former basketball player and assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. He was first appointed the assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns, then was named the Utah Jazz’s head coach, on Fe ...

and Cleveland's first (used for

Dan Majerle Daniel Lewis Majerle (; born September 9, 1965), also known by the nickname "Thunder Dan", is an American former professional basketball player and former coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes. He played 14 years in the National Basketball Associat ...

) and second round (used for

Dean Garrett Dean Heath Garrett (born November 27, 1966) is a former American professional basketball player. At a height of tall, he played at the center position. College career Garrett attended San Clemente High School, in San Clemente, California, w ...

) picks in 1988 and the Lakers' second round pick in 1989 (used for Greg Grant).

Cleveland Cavaliers (1988-1994)

The trade worked out for both teams, as Nance proved to be the missing piece the Cavs needed to contend for a title in the

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

, while at the same time playing the role of frontcourt post partner to Cav center

Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to: * Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster * Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player {{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...

before a series of back injuries forced Daugherty to retire. For the Suns, Johnson, Majerle and West became key players in the team's late 1980s and early 1990s success. Corbin, following a successful season in Phoenix, was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1989 expansion draft. Larry Nance was a 3-time NBA All-Star 1985, 1989, and 1993, and an NBA All-Defensive Team First Team member in 1989, and a Second Team Member in 1992 and 1993. He was also consistently one of the league's better shot blockers, averaging 2.2 blocks per game during his career. Upon his retirement, he held the league record for most blocked shots by any player other than a center.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 80 , , 0 , , 14.8 , , .521 , , .000 , , .641 , , 3.2 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .9 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 35.5 , , .550 , , .333 , , .672 , , 8.7 , , 2.4 , , 1.2 , , 2.6 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 35.4 , , .576 , , .000 , , .707 , , 8.3 , , 2.6 , , 1.0 , , 2.1 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 55 , , 36.1 , , .587 , , .500 , , .709 , , 8.8 , , 2.6 , , 1.4 , , 1.7 , , 19.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 69 , , 34.0 , , .581 , , .000 , , .698 , , 8.5 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 20.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 67 , , 37.2 , , .551 , , .200 , , .773 , , 8.7 , , 3.4 , , 1.2 , , 2.1 , , 22.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 34 , , 36.9 , , .531 , , .400 , , .751 , , 9.9 , , 3.1 , , 1.1 , , 2.4 , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 27 , , 26 , , 33.6 , , .526 , , .000 , , .830 , , 7.9 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , 2.3 , , 16.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 72 , , 34.6 , , .539 , , .000 , , .799 , , 8.0 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , 2.8 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , 53 , , 33.3 , , .511 , , 1.000 , , .778 , , 8.3 , , 2.6 , , .9 , , 2.0 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 78 , , 36.6 , , .524 , , .250 , , .803 , , 8.6 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , 2.5 , , 19.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 35.6 , , .539 , , .000 , , .822 , , 8.3 , , 2.9 , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , 17.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 77 , , 35.8 , , .549 , , .000 , , .818 , , 8.7 , , 2.9 , , .7 , , 2.6 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 19 , , 27.5 , , .487 , , .000 , , .753 , , 6.9 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 1.7 , , 11.2 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 920 , , 795 , , 33.4 , , .546 , , .145 , , .755 , , 8.0 , , 2.6 , , .9 , , 2.2 , , 17.1 , -class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", All-Star , 3 , , 0 , , 14.7 , , .714 , , .000 , , .750 , , 4.7 , , .7 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , 11.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1982 , style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 18.3 , , .610 , , .000 , , .500 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 34.3 , , .400 , , .000 , , .800 , , 8.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 0 , , 37.2 , , .590 , , .000 , , .671 , , 8.7 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , 2.0 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 40.0 , , .531 , , .000 , , .889 , , 7.2 , , 3.6 , , .4 , , 2.2 , , 16.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 39.0 , , .551 , , .000 , , .656 , , 7.8 , , 3.2 , , .6 , , 2.4 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 31.8 , , .578 , , .000 , , .750 , , 4.8 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , 2.0 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1992 , style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 17 , , 40.1 , , .494 , , .000 , , .829 , , 9.2 , , 2.5 , , .8 , , 2.7 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 36.6 , , .565 , , .000 , , .767 , , 8.2 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , 1.6 , , 16.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 68 , , 41 , , 35.7 , , .541 , , .000 , , .742 , , 7.9 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , 2.1 , , 15.7

Personal life

Nance's son,

Larry Nance Jr. Larry Donnell Nance Jr. (born January 1, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys, where he was considered ...

, played college basketball for

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

before being selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He played two and a half seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2018. Nance granted the Cavaliers permission to let his son wear his retired no. 22 jersey. Nance's daughter, Casey Nance, played college basketball for

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

. Another son,

Pete Nance Peter Lucas Nance (born February 19, 2000) is an American basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Northwestern and North Carolina. High school career Nance play ...

, began playing for the

Northwestern Wildcats The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern ...

during the 2018–19 season, and transferred to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels for the 2022-23 season. Nance now owns a 1967 "Catch 22" Camaro NHRA drag racer, which his team races on weekends.Ex-NBA star Larry Nance is enjoying NHRA drag racing in his retirement https://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/ex-nba-star-larry-nance-is-enjoying-nhra-drag-racing-in-his-retirement-072916 November 15, 2016

References

External links

www.larrynance22.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nance, Larry 1959 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from South Carolina Centers (basketball) Clemson Tigers men's basketball players Cleveland Cavaliers players National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers People from Anderson, South Carolina Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Power forwards (basketball) 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

College career

Professional career

Phoenix Suns (1981-1988)

Cleveland Cavaliers (1988-1994)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

See also

References

External links