Cavaliers pay tribute to Nick Gilbert with banner at arena
Gilbert died in May at age 26. He had neurofibromatosis (NF1), a disorder that causes noncancerous tumors to grow on the brain, spinal cord and skin. There is no cure.
“It means a lot,” Nick Gilbert’s brother, Grant, told Bally Sports Cleveland about the tribute. “It’s very special to my family. But not only my family, everyone that knew Nick. And I think it’s important for us to come into the FieldHouse and see that banner and understand that he’s with us. But also for everybody else to understand the contributions to the organization and to the community that he made. And just being around and being an unwavering fan. And his spirit really driving us through the hard times and the bad times. So he’s with us for sure.”
Nick Gilbert gained a spot in Cleveland sports lore when he represented the Cavs at the NBA draft lottery. With Nick wearing his typical bow tie while sitting in the Cavaliers’ seat, the team twice received the No. 1 pick in the lottery.
In 2011, the Cavaliers used it on Kyrie Irving. Two years later, they picked Anthony Bennett.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.