Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers team owner Dan Gilbert who became the organization’s good luck charm at NBA Draft lotteries, has died. He was 26.
Gilbert was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF1) as a toddler. The disease is a genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow on the brain, spinal cord and skin. There is no cure.
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Owner Dan Gilbert and Nick Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning the overall number one pick during the NBA Draft Lottery on May 21, 2013, at ABC News’ “Good Morning America” Times Square Studio in New York City. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Ira Kaufman Chapel said Saturday in an announcement that Gilbert died “peacefully at home surrounded by family.” He lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Gilbert became a viral sensation when he wore a bow tie and dark-rimmed glasses at the 2011 draft lottery. The Cavaliers ended up getting the No. 1 pick and selected Kyrie Irving No. 1. It was one season after LeBron James left the team to sign with the Miami Heat.
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Nick Gilbert represents the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Draft Lottery on May 15, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
Then 14 years old, Gilbert quipped, “What’s not to like?” after his father had praised his efforts and called him his hero.
He represented the Cavaliers at several more lotteries. Cleveland would get the No. 1 pick in 2013 and 2014. The team would draft Andrew Wiggins in 2014 and flip him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade that landed Kevin Love. James, Irving and Love would help bring Cleveland a championship in 2016.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert congratulates his son, Nick Gilbert, after the team won the NBA Draft lottery in New York on May 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)
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Cleveland dedicated its 2022-23 season to Gilbert. The team wore bowtie emblems on their warm-up jerseys to honor him and raise awareness for the disease.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
