Mar 10, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-Imagn Images Quinn Harris-Imagn Images

Cavaliers’ Larry Nance Jr. Gets Honest About Returning to Team

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 8:57 PM ET

For the longest time, seeing Larry Nance Jr. in anything but a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform has always felt wrong.

Son of Cavaliers legend Larry Nance and a Northeastern Ohio native, Nance last played for Cleveland during the 2020-21 season. In his time away, he had stops with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Hawks. However, no matter the uniform, it just never felt the same as Nance wearing Wine and Gold.

Well, after re-signing with the Cavaliers this summer, it seems that Nance missed home just as much as home missed him.

“Over the past few years, when playing for the Hawks, playing for the Pelicans, yeah, I want them to win every game, but I was a Cavs fan,” Nance said. “So, watching the playoffs the past few years, it was hard not to just sit on the couch and kind of look, tap my wife and be like, ‘I can help, I could really do that.’"

Watch Larry Nance Jr.'s Full Press Conference Here:

When it comes to helping the Cavaliers, Nance's skillset can beautifully complement Cleveland's offense under head coach Kenny Atkinson. Able to play either forward position and even command minutes as a small-ball center, Nance's abilities to pass, shoot, rebound, and defend can help maximize Atkinson's rotations and, more importantly, support the Cavaliers' Core Four.

“You need another big that preferably can spread the floor and move a little bit on the perimeter," Nance said. "It just kind of fed right into exactly what I know I do and exactly how I know I can help.”

In a sense, Nance taking the floor once again in No. 22 for the Cavaliers seems almost poetic. The veteran forward admitted that the playoff rush he experienced in his first season with Cleveland was "addicting" and, if everything goes according to plan, Nance will be a key figure in the Cavaliers returning to the NBA Finals since the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

“This is a team that’s really got a chance to win it all. And that’s the goal,” Nance said. “That’s why I came back, and that’s what we’re going to do this year.”

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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