CLEVELAND (AP) — Nicolas “Nick” Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert who became the team’s good luck charm at NBA draft lotteries, has died. He was 26.
A funeral announcement posted by the Ira Kaufman Chapel said Gilbert died Saturday “peacefully at home surrounded by family.”
Gilbert was diagnosed as a child with neurofibromatosis (NF1), a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow in the brain, spinal cord and skin.
Wearing a signature bow tie and dark-rimmed glasses, Gilbert became a sensation at the 2011 draft lottery.
Cleveland wound up with the No. 1 overall pick and used it to select Kyrie Irving, who became an All-Star and later paired with LeBron James to win the championship in 2016.