Former Wyoming Star Larry Nance Jr. Likes the Looks of the Poke’s New Uniforms
LARAMIE -- When the Wyoming men's basketball program released its new uniform combinations on Twitter in late November, one of its most famous alums was quick to chime in:
Ask and you shall receive:
Larry Nance Jr., who played in Laramie under head coach Larry Shyatt from 2011-15, is a current member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in his home state of Ohio.
Nance played 123 games in a Cowboys uniform, averaging 11.3 points and nearly seven rebounds per game. His best season was his last in Laramie. During the 2014-15 campaign, the high-flying Nance netted more than 16 points per night and led Wyoming to a Mountain West Tournament title and a trip to March Madness.
Twice Nance earned first-team All-MW honors. As a senior he was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.
Nance was selected 27th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft. He called the Staples Center home for four seasons before being dealt to Cleveland in a trade for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 2018 first-round draft pick. Jordan Clarkston went with Nance to the Cavs in the deal.
This season, Nance is averaging 9.3 points per game. He's also pulling down nearly seven rebounds per outing. He is second in the NBA in steals with 1.9 per game. Nance hasn't played since Feb. 6 and is expected to miss four to six weeks with a fractured finger.
He tweeted that last Monday he underwent surgery and now has a plate and nine screws in his left hand.
This season Nance has been wearing shirts that promote local businesses in the Cleveland area that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He wears their gear, takes a photo and shares it on his Twitter account, which has more than 304,000 followers.
Nance has been selling his game-worn jerseys -- and matching whatever price he gets for them -- and sending the proceeds to the particular business on his shirt that night. Even though Nance is currently sidelined, his teammates have carried on his mission for him.
The least UW could do is give him a personalized jersey, right?