Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Larry Nance Jr. has gone from Revere High to the University of Wyoming and the Los Angeles Lakers and back to Cleveland to play for his Dad's Cavaliers.

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Larry Nance Jr. wears his dad’s number 22 for the Cleveland Cavaliers and plays beneath dad’s jersey, which hangs in honor at Quicken Loans Arena.

Sports run in the family. Sister Casey coaches girls basketball at the siblings’ alma mater, Revere High, and works for the Indians in special events. Kid brother Pete starred at hoops for Revere’s Minutemen before graduating to Northwestern. Larry’s new bride, Hailey, was a swimming champ in her native Wyoming.

The Cavs’ season starts Wednesday in Toronto. The great Lebron James is gone, but the 6-foot-9 Larry has high hopes.

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Joshua Gunter/cleveland.com

Former Cavs star Larry Nance Sr. and wife Jaynee cheer their son, introduced on the big screen at Quicken Loans Arena.

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Cleveland creds: Raised in Bath, came back to town through a trade in February, 2018

Currently lives: Bath Township

Age: 25

Schooling: University of Wyoming

Household: Wife, Hailey; two dogs, Reggie and Kyle

Favorite locally owned restaurants: Swenson's, Hyde Park

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Larry Nance Jr. wears his dad's number.

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What was it like leaving LA and coming home?

Larry: Obviously, L.A., New York, Chicago, the bigger markets have more of a draw. Guys have more marketing opportunities. But I was in a bigger market when I got traded to Cleveland, and I was thrilled. Even with losing Lebron, I'm so happy to be home. Not to knock L.A. I had a blast there. I loved my teammates and coaches. But there's something to say about being home.

It’s funny that Stephen Curry [of the archrival Golden State Warriors] was born in Akron at the same hospital as Lebron.

Is life much different there than here?

Larry: Very much so. In L.A., everyone wants to be an actor. Everyone's putting on a front, it seems. It comes with Hollywood and the whole show that is L.A.

Cleveland’s almost the total opposite. People here aren’t flashy. They don’t show off. They’re salt of the earth Midwestern people, and I love that.

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Nance Jr. checks out a new locker room in progress this summer at the Q with General Manager Koby Altman, teammate Kevin Love and basketball operations director Brock Aller. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers

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What’s it like living with Crohn’s disease?

Larry: I got diagnosed as a sophomore in high school. It's been pretty stable since then. Once every 6 ½ weeks, I have to get an infusion of this drug called Remicade. It masks the symptoms.

I like to use the platform I have as a professional athlete to educate people about Crohn’s and allow kids, mainly, to see that, even though you have a disease, it doesn’t mean your wildest dreams can’t come true.

Do you have a special diet?

Larry: No nuts, no seeds, no popcorn, no raw vegetables, no spicy foods.

Is it hard to follow that diet on the road?

Larry: It was tough early on, but I've figured out where to go in each city.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Larry Nance Jr., takes a break at the Cavaliers' practice facility, the Cleveland Clinic Courts.

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Tell us something about a teammate we might not know.

Larry: Channing Frye is the biggest video game nerd you'll ever meet. We had a two-a-day yesterday. As soon as we finished our first practice, he showered and hooked up his Xbox and stayed until the second practice playing video games, about 4 ½ hours.

They say you’re a pretty good video nerd yourself.

Larry: Yes. I love FIFA.

What else should we know about you?

Larry: I'm a move junkie.

Your favorite Cleveland movie?

Larry: I had a bunch of friends that were living across the street from the parking garage they had cars falling out of in Fast and Furious 8. That was one of my favorite scenes.

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Joshua Gunter/cleveland.com

On a recent media day, Cavs players posed as the late TV painter Bob Ross.

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Were you were raised to root for the home teams?

Larry: I've been a Cavs, Browns, Indians fan. I can't remember not being one. I went to a lot of games. I was there for the playoffs against the Spurs and the Magic.

Why’d you major in criminal justice?

Larry: I had plans to work in a forensics lab. Then a little thing called basketball got in the way. This is not a bad gig.

Do you have an indoor court, like your parents?

Larry: No court. We just bought this summer. We haven't had time to do that. No current plans. We're just happy with having a spot of land that's ours.

Congrats on your marriage this summer. Has your wife adjusted to Ohio?

Larry: She was a small-town girl, so this is a pretty easy adjustment.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. dunks on the archrival Golden State Warriors during last spring's NBA championship round.

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Where do you hang out between games in Cleveland and practices in Independence and all?

Larry: I'm a homebody. We've got a couple acres. I like to just hang out. We're just a couple miles from my parents.

If we’re going to go somewhere, maybe it’s for hikes in the parks with my wife and our dogs. I like it by the covered bridge [off Everett Road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park]. There’s that nice creek. I’ll throw balls to my dogs.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Stephen Curry was born in Akron but plays for Golden State.

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Do you think of yourself as a Cleveland, an Akronite or what?

Larry: I'm a Northeast Ohioan. I grew up more towards Akron but in between. Lebron was downtown Akron. I spent a lot of time in Cleveland. I spent a lot of time in Akron.

How do you feel about changes over the years in both towns?

Larry: I left seven years ago to go to college. Even during that time, everything has changed so much, the advancements in buildings and the economy. We've still got high-rises going up. What Dan Gilbert has done for Cleveland, what Lebron has done for both Cleveland and Akron, you can't even put into words. We've done a complete 180.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Nance fights Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell for a loose ball at Quicken Loans Arena in April.

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Life after Lebron?

Larry: You hate to lose a player of his caliber. At the same time, that opens up opportunities for other guys. We're super excited at a chance to expand our roles, expand our games and show more than people have seen.

Don’t give up on us. We’re a playoff team, no question. This is going to be a fun group. This is going to be exciting to watch. We promise it’ll be a good year.

Larry Nance sprained his right ankle Thursday in practice. At last report, it was uncertain whether he could play in Wednesday's regular season opener.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Nance Jr. used to play first for the Los Angeles Lakers and vie with the Cavs' Kevin Love, now his teammate.

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Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer

Nance Sr. greets the crowd at the Q.

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