50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame
By Phil Watson
Copyright 1990 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns went for a long, rangy forward in the 1981 NBA Draft when they selected Clemson’s Larry Nance with the 20th overall pick.
After one season as a reserve, Nance joined the starting lineup in his second season and burst onto the scene by winning the slam dunk contest before the 1984 All-Star Game.
But in February 1988, the Suns packaged Nance along with Mike Sanders and a 1988 first-round pick and sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Johnson, Mark West, Tyrone Corbin, first- and second-round selections in 1988 and a 1989 second-rounder.
Nance helped the Cavaliers contend in the East and was a three-time All-Defensive selection while with Cleveland before retiring in 1994.
In 13 seasons, Nance averaged 17.1 points, eight rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 blocks in 33.4 minutes per game, shooting .546/.145/.755.
He is 19th all-time with 2,027 blocked shots and his .546 field-goal percentage ranks 22nd. His blocks per game average is 18th on the NBA’s all-time list.