NBA's Larry Nance Jr. Reportedly Recovering After Battling Mystery Illness That Kept Him from Team

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is recovering after reportedly battling an illness that caused him to rapidly lose weight over seven days.

The 28-year-old has spent more than a week away from the team while dealing with an undetermined illness that left him bedridden, according to Cleveland.com. Nance initially felt unwell on March 29, just hours before the team was scheduled to face the Utah Jazz, the outlet said. He did not participate in team activities or the game that day.

Nance has since received multiple tests to determine the cause of the illness, but results have come back negative. This includes tests for COVID-19, which did not return positive, the outlet reported.

A source told Cleveland.com that Nance lost nearly 20 pounds over a one-week period while coping with the ailment.

Reps for Nance did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

RELATED: NBA Legend Paul Pierce No Longer with ESPN as Analyst After Racy Instagram Live Video

Earlier in the season, Nance suffered a fractured left hand that caused him to miss 12 games. But he's been a key contributor to the team and is averaging 10.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 2020-2021.

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Nance has previously spoken out about developing stomach cramps and weight problems as a result of his Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease, according to the Chron's & Colitis Foundation, is an inflammatory disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. There is currently no cure for the condition, and it is unclear whether it is contributing to his most recent illness.

RELATED: Shaquille O'Neal Pays Off Engagement Ring for Fan: 'I'm Just Trying to Make People Smile'

During an interview with Yahoo Sports in February 2020, Nance said he lost a lot of weight in college after experiencing a flareup of the disease.

"I had to take two weeks off, I lost about 20 pounds and I missed a whole lot of games of my freshmen year, so that was not great," Nance said. "Since I've been in the NBA I've been very fortunate [that I] haven't really had any flareups."

RELATED VIDEO: Russell Westbrook Is Opening Middle and High Schools in Los Angeles: I 'Want to Inspire and Empower'

Nance has since used his platform as an NBA player to offer his support to other people with the disease, and to efforts to develop a cure.

"The overarching goal would be a cure," Nance told the outlet. "That would be the dream come true. But for us, it's more so about showing kids and showing people that even though you're dealing with a chronic illness and even though you're dealing with something that you're going to have to monitor and manage for the rest of your life, it shouldn't stop you from being and achieving anything that you want to."