Cavaliers launch Bow Tie Campaign, dedicate season to Nick Gilbert
Nick Gilbert’s signature bow tie, which became a good luck charm during the NBA Lottery, will take on greater meaning during the Cavaliers’ 2022-23 season.
The Cavs announced Wednesday that they will dedicate the season to Gilbert, the son of Chairman Dan Gilbert, to support Nick and others battling neurofibromatosis (NF).
The genetic disorder, with no known cure, causes tumors to grow on nerve pathways and impacts one in every 3,000 people worldwide. NF can cause blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disabling pain and cancer.
The Cavs are partnering with NF Forward and the Children’s Tumor Foundation in launching a Bow Tie Campaign to raise awareness and funds for research.
Nick Gilbert, 26, has undergone multiple surgeries in the past year that left him hospitalized for more than a month, according to the team, but is now doing well.
His signature bow tie was spotlighted when at age 14 he represented the Cavs at the 2011 NBA Lottery. The Cavs got the No. 1 pick, used on guard Kyrie Irving, and Gilbert’s response was, “What’s not to like?”
At the 2021 Lottery, Nick Gilbert was overseas, but he sent now-President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman two of his ties for the drawing in Chicago. Altman had them by his side when the Cavs defied the odds and got the No. 3 pick, their highest in five years, which they used on 7-foot center/forward Evan Mobley, runner-up for NBA Rookie of the Year.
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The bow tie emblem will appear on players’ warmup jackets and lapels of broadcasters, coaches and front office members, and featured inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
"We want to give a special thanks to Cleveland fans for always embracing Nick and showing him support and love over the years,” Dan Gilbert said in a statement. “This season, we’re using the Cavs platform to raise awareness of NF and the millions who are impacted by this disease. While there’s currently no cure, we hope to help support cutting-edge research through our efforts. So, as you cheer on the Cavs this season, we ask that you keep Nick and all those fighting NF in your hearts."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs dedicate season to Dan Gilbert's son, Nick Gilbert
