At 6-foot-8 and the son of a legendary NBA forward from the 1980s and 1990s, it seems reasonable to assume basketball has always been Larry Nance Jr.’s destiny, that it was a foregone conclusion the Ohio native would end up in professional hoops. That’s actually far from the case. The New Orleans center/forward’s first love was soccer, a sport he instantly adored for a variety of reasons.
“It’s such a heady game,” Nance described of soccer’s strategy and cerebral nature. “It’s the moves and countermoves, the tactical nature of it that I love and am drawn to. I got into soccer young. It was the first sport I ever played.”
Nance no longer competes in the sport as an athlete, noting, “I played (soccer) until they told me, ‘It’s time to switch to basketball’ ” as he kept growing, but he’s found another way to stay involved. Nance announced this summer that he’s become a part-owner of the Leeds United soccer club in England. The 30-year-old spent part of the NBA offseason visiting Leeds as a new member of the organization, enjoying every bit of the culture that surrounds the game in Europe.
He’d explored other ownership opportunities in recent years, before deciding that Leeds was the best option for him. Leeds initially made a big impression on him in 2022, when it shut out historic club Chelsea.
“They were playing such a high-intensity pressing (style) and were so fun to watch,” Nance said of Leeds. “I was a Chelsea fan myself, and they came in to Stamford Bridge and smoked them 3-0. They played such a fun style of football. When the opportunity came about, that was the image I had of them in my head. It was awesome.”
Beyond the field, Nance thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere while visiting Leeds, including its emphasis on community involvement. During his first full season with the Pelicans, Nance donated to area schools by auctioning his jersey after every home game, among other efforts.
“I had been looking at (soccer…
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