Larry Nance Jr. opens up on battle with Crohn’s, talks return to Cavs

It started in high school. And it almost resulted in big man Larry Nance Jr. never returning to the Cavaliers — or playing for them in the first place.

It is Crohn’s disease, something with which Nance has suffered for nearly 20 years, maybe longer.

Nance, 32, is back with the Cavs after runs with the Trail Blazers, Pelicans and Hawks since 2021. He also played for his hometown team — and the organization that retired his father’s number — for three-plus seasons, starting in 2018.

He officially returned as a free agent in early July.

“The offseason has been good,” Nance told The Big Factor, a show that’s part of the Big Play Sports Network. “It’s nice not to have to travel too far to get to where I play. The team looks a little different than when I left, so I’m excited.”

Nance was then asked about his ongoing battle with Crohn’s and his organization, Athletes vs. Crohn’s. He was clearly more than happy to discuss.

“About 16 or 17 years ago I got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease while I was in high school (at Revere),” he said. “It stunted my growth, I wasn’t gaining weight, I had no energy. I was about to quit basketball. It really just depleted me. Fortunately, I happened to live close to the Cleveland Clinic … I got good treatment for it.”

Nevertheless, Nance was admittedly concerned once he learned of the disease.

“When I got diagnosed, I went and googled to see if there were any athletes that (had Crohn’s),” he said. “I thought (playing in the NBA) is what I want to do; is it still possible with this disease?”

Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard was among the names that came up in his search.

“He became my North Star,” Nance said. “That dude motivated me more than he’ll ever know. I always said to myself, ‘Look, if I ever get a chance to play professionally, or be somewhat of stature, I’d like to be that for the next kid, or whoever else is looking for somebody to lean on and be an inspiration.’”

So Nance launched AVC, or Athletes vs. Crohn’s, in his second NBA season after receiving a direct message from a fan who also suffered from the disease.

“My family and his family got together and that started some of the changes we wanted to see in our community — that being the Crohn’s community,” Nance said. “That led to over seven figures raised, just about 40 scholarships given out to kids in Cleveland, kids in New York, all who suffer with Crohn’s. We’re doing some good work and we’re going strong.”

Nance described Crohn’s as “an autoimmune disorder where basically your entire GI tract is out of whack.” It changes your entire approach to basically everything, things that many of the rest of us take for granted.

“A lot of food we can’t eat — nuts, seeds, raw vegetables for me, spicy food, any real fast food,” Nance said. “It’s as clean a diet as it gets, especially for athletes. It affects the entire GI tract. … It is daunting, especially as an athlete. It requires a super clean diet, it requires constant paying attention to it.”

Nance continues to manage it and knows he will have to do just that for the rest of his life. As for the here and now, he’s focused on how he can help a Cavaliers team that finished 64-18 last season before being bounced in the second round.

“Shooting is something I’ve really been working on the past few years and the percentages look great,” Nance said. “So I’m gonna keep letting it fly, and I know (coach Kenny Atkinson) and his staff are excited about kind of exploring having a big that can take some of the spacing issues away from (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell).

“You know, if you’ve got a switch and you have to switch your guard onto me, there’s no chance that big is staying in front of DG and Don. So it presents some different matchup issues (for opponents), as well as some defensive versatility.

“Obviously, (Evan Mobley) is Defensive Player of the Year and (Jarrett Allen) is incredible as well. I think I can add to the frontcourt as well. I just think it fits like a glove. I know a lot of these guys and it will be a pretty easy fit.”

Nance and the Cavs tip off training camp in Florida on Sept. 30. You can check out his full interview on The Big Factor below.