Larry Nance

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Larry Donnell Nance (born February 12, 1959 in Anderson, South Carolina) is a former American professional basketball player. A 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) power forward/center from Clemson University, Nance played thirteen seasons (1981–1994) in the NBA as a member of the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Nance scored 15,687 career points and grabbed 7,352 career rebounds, but he is perhaps best known as the first winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984. His best scoring average year was in the 1986–1987 NBA season, where he averaged 22.5 points per game. Nance was involved in a trade between the Suns and the Cavaliers in 1988. It was this trade that brought Kevin Johnson to the Suns along with a first-round draft choice that Phoenix would eventually use to pick Dan Majerle. The trade worked out for both teams, as Nance proved to be the missing piece the Cavs needed to contend for a title in the East, while at the same time playing the role of frontcourt post partner to Cav center Brad Daugherty. For the Suns, Johnson and Majerle became key players in the team's late 1980s and early 1990s success.

Larry Nance was a 3-time NBA All-Star 1985, 1989, and 1993, and the NBA All-Defensive Team First Team member in 1989, and the Second Team Member in 1992 and 1993.

Nance is currently a drag racer in the International Hot Rod Association, mainly in the Pro Stock series.