With his bow tie and his smile, Nick Gilbert had become the lucky charm for the Cavaliers of his father, Dan Gilbert, during the Draft lottery. In 2011 and 2013, it was he who represented the team when it obtained the first choice each time, in order to select Kyrie Irving and Anthony Bennett in the process.
In 2018 and 2019, he had less luck, with the Cavs obtaining the 8th (Collin Sexton) and 5th picks (Darius Garland).
But Nick Gilbert's presence helped shed light on neurofibromatosis, a genetic disease that causes tumors to develop in the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Suffering from this illness, the son of the owner of the Cavaliers died in May 2023, at the age of 26.
Since then, Dan Gilbert has created a foundation to develop research against this disease. Yesterday, during the game against the Knicks, the Cavaliers also unveiled a banner in tribute to Nick Gilbert.
“It means a lot”said Grant, Nick Gilbert's brother, on this banner which displays a bow tie. “It’s very special for my family. But not just my family, for everyone who knew Nick. I think it's important for us to come to the FieldHouse and see that banner and understand that he's with us. But also for everyone to understand the contributions he made to the organization and the community. And just being there and being a die-hard fan. His spirit really pushed us through the tough times. So he’s with us, that’s for sure.”
