Leeds United co-owner prepares to jet in and makes statement on investment returns — YEP 24/4/25

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United co-owner and NBA player Larry Nance JR says his investment is 'well gone' and he doesn't want to see it again after finding what he was longing for at Elland Road.

The Atlanta Hawks power forward has long been a fan of football and grew up playing it until his height dictated his sport of choice. Standing at 6ft 8ins the 32-year-old, son of former NBA professional Larry Nance Sr, has forged a career for himself in basketball's elite since being drafted 27th overall in 2015 by the Los Angeles Lakers. He's played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and now the Hawks.

Throughout his years of employment in one sport he has devoted time and attention away from work to the other love in his life, making trips to England to watch Premier League games and driving his wife mad with obsessive viewing of televised fixtures. A lingering frustration was the lack of belonging he felt. While a Cavs player the only colleague he could talk to on the same wavelength and understanding when it came to football was former Sheffield Sharks man Nate Reinking, who joined the Cleveland coaching staff after his playing career was done.

So when a chance to become an investor in Leeds United arose, Nance Jr spotted an opportunity to find a place for himself in a fanbase that was obsessive about their club and their sport.

"Past few years, I'm telling you, football is on," he said, in an exclusive interview with the YEP's Inside Elland Road podcast. "I'm watching Serie A, I'm watching the second league in France, it's on constantly. My wife is sick of football, so I've been just an absolute die hard consumer of a sport forever, but never really had a home to direct my passion."

He has never hid his dalliance with Chelsea and a fondness for the Stamford Bridge club based on his love of Samuel Eto'o and Eden Hazard, but insists he has never been more content with his football involvement than he is right now as an investor and supporter of Leeds United.

"I just couldn't be happier to be where I'm at," he said. "And the biggest thing I wanted from this was just to be part of the community. You know, sure there's a financial part of this investment that is substantial. But I truly don't ever want to see that money again. I don't ever want to see it again. If it triples, quadruples, I hope it's gone in the wind. And I just retain my little piece. Whether we go down twice, up twice, whether we win the Champions League, I don't care - I take it back, I do care - but I never want to see that investment ever again. That's money that is well spent, well gone, and I don't ever want to see it. I would love to just ride this out until one day I can hand it to my daughters."

Nance Jr has built a popularity among Leeds fans with his social media interactions, tweeting '+3' after every win and chipping in with financial donations to various worthy causes involving the club's fanbase. He has gone to the pub in Atlanta to watch games with the city's Leeds supporters club and on a visit to Elland Road spent time in The Peacock getting to know the locals.

"I walked in there not knowing anybody," he said. "I went up to the back terrace area and Katie (Watkin, Leeds fan) grabbed me and said here's a group of people you can sit with and we just started chatting. Now it's become a community that I was looking for, dying to be a part of and I feel like I'm a part of it. Eventually I worked my way behind the bar and paid for a few folks' drinks and that spurred further conversation. It was great. I had nothing but smiles and laughs. Hopefully on Monday there'll be way more."

As he alluded to in that response, Nance Jr will be back in Leeds this weekend to watch the final home game of the season against Bristol City. Though the Whites could essentially crown themselves champions with a win, if Burnley have somehow lost at QPR on Saturday, there will be no trophy to lift because the EFL are expected to keep that privilege for whoever is finally, mathematically elected champions on the last day of the season. But the Whites are planning to mark their promotion to the Premier League with some plans in place for post-game celebrations.