Larry Nance Sr. got over history quickly, when Lakers drafted his son

The Lakers saw a familiar face Wednesday, when former rival Larry Nance Sr. sat in to watch his son, Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., practice with the team.

Nance Sr., wearing a gold Lakers cap, said he got over his anti-Lakers feelings pretty quickly when the team selected his son with the 27th overall pick in June.

“It was tough but I got over it quick because I’ve got one of my loved ones playing here,� Nance Sr. said with a smile. “I had to give him grief, because when I played in Phoenix, the Lakers were the tough team that came through and beat the crap out of us all the time. I’m proud of him, and I respect this organization. They’ve done a lot of good things and have had a lot of great players, so it’s an honor to be on the Lakers.�

Nance Jr., from Wyoming, wasn’t in the Lakers’ rotation initially, but he’s quickly carved out a role as the backup power forward to Julius Randle, averaging 5.0 points a game while shooting 55.2% from the field.

“He’s trying to get his niche and his niche is hard work right now,� said Nance Sr. “I think as he begins to play, and feel comfortable, he’ll start doing more stuff. He can do so many things that nobody knows yet.�

“He can score a whole lot better. He can actually post up. He can score left- and right-handed. He can dribble better than people think he can. It’s a lot of stuff that he can do, but that’s always been Larry, he’s going to come along at his own pace.�

The Lakers viewed Nance Jr. as a late bloomer. The 22-year old rookie was widely considered a second-rounder, but the Lakers didn’t let him get past the 27th pick.

“I was really proud of him, because he worked really hard from the beginning, from possibly not being drafted, to being in the second round to working his way to the first round. That took a lot of hard work,� said Nance Sr. “I really respect and appreciate how hard he worked to make that far up in such a short time. Kids just don’t do that.�

Nance Jr. said he hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and participate in the dunk contest, if he receives an invitation from the NBA.

“Absolutely,� said Nance Jr., but the Lakers rookie isn’t sure he’s at the same level as his namesake. “He’s a better athlete than I am.�

Nance Sr. isn’t so sure.

“I can’t say that. I think he’s much stronger than I ever had time to be,� said Nance Sr. “At his point in his career, he understands the game better than I did. He has a better shot than I did at the beginning.�

Nance Sr. was a three-time All-Star, playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and in Phoenix. He was also the NBA’s inaugural dunk contest champion in 1984, as a member of the Suns.

He said it would be “cool� to see his son in the dunk contest.

“I back him 100 percent and would do anything he wants me to do,� said Nance Sr., even if it’s at his own expense.

“He said that one day he’s going to roll me out in a wheelchair, put me up under the basket and slam dunk on me. So now you know what kind of kid I have,� said Nance Sr.

Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.