Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has impressed Laker fans since being drafted with the 27th overall pick in 2015, particularly with his dunks and leaping ability.
Nance had perhaps the dunk of the year last season when he rose up and dunked on now teammate Brook Lopez, who was with the Brooklyn Nets at the time.
Despite being one of the best high flyers in the league, Nance has yet to compete in a dunk contest in the NBA.
That came up at Lakers Media Day on Monday when he appeared on the set of Spectrum SportsNet, and with All-Star Weekend this year being hosted by the Lakers at the Staples Center, and he said that he is open to it if he is healthy:
“I would love to stay healthy and I’d love to do it. It’s in the cards,” Nance said.
Nance cited that his dad, Larry Nance Sr. competed in the Slam Dunk Contest for the first time during his third year in the league, which is the same season that he is heading into this year. Nance also said that All-Star Weekend being in Los Angeles will play a factor in his decision.
With All-Star weekend not set to take place until February, Nance still has plenty of time to decide if he wants to participate or not, but it seems like his mind is already made up that he will compete if healthy.
Nance should have an expanded role with the Lakers this season as he said that the thing he worked on most this summer is three-point shooting, which is the one aspect of his game that was really lacking the past couple seasons. Nance could be in for a big year if he proves to be a worthy jump shooter in addition to his tremendous ability to finish above the rim.