Nick Gilbert – son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan and long-time lucky charm of the NBA team – dies aged 26 from genetic condition
- The son of Dan Gilbert, the Cleveland Cavaliers owner, has died at the age of 26
- He lived with neurofibromatosis, a condition with no cure or treatment
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Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and long-time lucky charm of the NBA team, has died at the age of 26 from a genetic condition he had suffered with from birth.
The sad news was revealed on Sunday morning, with the Ira Kaufman Chapel revealing that he died on Saturday, ‘peacefully at home surrounded by family.’
Nick lived with neurofibromatosis, a condition with no cure or treatment that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow along nerves in the skin, brain and other parts of the body.
The 26-year-old was best-known among NBA fans for attending the Draft Lottery each year as the Cavaliers’ lucky charm, beginning in 2011 after their nightmarish first season without LeBron James.
Amid his presence at the event, they won the No 1 overall pick, allowing them to select Kyrie Irving, and the then-14-year-old became notorious for his bow ties.
Nick Gilbert pictured representing the Cleveland Cavaliers at the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery
Gilbert, son of the Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, holds aloft the NBA Finals trophy back in 2016
Nick celebrates at the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery, after the Cavs won the first overall pick
He represented the team again in 2012 – when they fell to No 4 – but then again in 2013 they landed the No 1 overall pick again.
The Cavaliers dedicated the 2022-23 season to Gilbert by wearing bowtie emblems on their warm-up jackets, and tributes immediately began to pour in for the 26-year-old after the news of his death was released this weekend.