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We are very sorry to share the news that Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and longtime good luck charm for the Cavaliers passed away earlier today. He was 26 years old.



We are very sorry to share the news that Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and longtime good luck charm for the Cavaliers passed away earlier today. He was 26 years old.

by wizardlyhigh

29 Comments

  2. TheSmokedSalmon420

    Aw man this hits hard. Loved that we had the bow ties on our warmups and around the stadium all year.

    Him at the lottery is one of my favorite basketball moments – especially seeing how it all lead to 2016. Glad he got to be a part of that.

  4. OHoSPARTACUS

    Damn rest in peace. Wish the best for Dan and his family.

  7. FoesiesBtw

    Thats terrible. do we know how he passed?

  9. Witness_57

    Our good luck charm. Got us kyrie. And ultimately the piece that led us to a title. RIP Nick. Condolences to Dan and the Gilbert family.

  10. theranchhand

    He had neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that among other things makes one prone to tumors/cancer of the brain and spinal cord.

    Could have had one in a bad/inoperable spot, or could have had an operative/post-op complication related to getting a tumor removed, maybe a seizure related to a tumor, or coulda been unrelated. But it was almost certainly related

    Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrismanning/2023/03/08/cleveland-cavaliers-announce-bow-tie-night-in-support-of-individuals-and-families-affected-by-neurofibromatosis/

    And I am a pediatrician

    EDIT: it occurs to me that announcing Bow Tie Night two months before his death is probably not a coincidence

  13. VDizzle12

    This is heartbreaking. The poor kid was a fighter his entire life. I loved the way the Cavs and the fanbase rallied around him all these years. Prayers go out to the Gilbert family. They’ve been through a lot recently.

  17. daledantony22

    Man that is so sad to hear. So young and you can tell he was genuine person, a real shame

  18. TheToughestHang

    Absolutely heartbreaking. Love you, Nick. Don’t even know what else to say, shit.

  19. Acrobatic-Compote-12

    This is some of the moments that basketball helps us with. All if us coming together to offer our condolences.

  22. joshuag

    “What’s not to like?”

    On its face, not this, but even in his passing, I’m reminded of this quip from draft lottery night. While born into privilege, he was dealt a hand that even that privilege couldn’t overcome. Even still, Nick didn’t have any complaints that night, or seemingly any night.

    It’s hard to remember, but these were grim times for us. Lebron had just left in the most humiliating fashion possible and we started the subsequent season with a 26 game losing streak. It was a bad year. We talked ourselves into Manny Harris and Ramon Sessions. 19 wins talked us right back out of it.

    But there he was on draft lottery night. There was no reason to smile. The best prospect was a kid who played 11 games in college. The cavs sucked and were going to suck forever. But there was Nick in his damn bowtie, just happy to be there. And then we popped on our 2% chance to win the lottery (let’s ignore the 20% from our legit pick).

    And honestly, Nick was right anyway. We had a team in Cleveland. And there was basketball to be played. What’s not to like?

    Rest easy, buddy. I think of that phrase and that spirit at least once a week. I’ll hold that thought of enjoying what’s in front of you in his spirit.

  24. thegardenhead

    His smile brought me so much hope and patience. Such an easy guy to root for. Very sad for his family.

  27. notatowel420

    Just goes to show you can have all the money in the world but if you don’t have your health you have nothing. RIP Nick thanks for the good luck in the draft. Couldn’t imagine how Dan feels.

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