CLEVELAND (WJW) – He was known by many basketball fans as the good luck charm who represented the Cleveland Cavaliers at multiple NBA draft lotteries.

Nick Gilbert, the son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, died this past weekend at the age of 26, after battling a lifelong genetic condition.

Once known as a rare-condition, neurofibromatosis affects 1-in-3,000 to 4,000 people worldwide.

“Usually, a hereditary disease that runs through families and is considered to be admissible dominant,” said Dr. Herbert Newton.

Newton, a medical director of the brain tumor center at University Hospitals, says NF is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on tissue anywhere in the nervous system.

“Most common place is on the skin. You can have little skin tumors all over the place. And also, it can cause tumors around the brain, around the spine and even internal organs,” Newton said.

Of the three types, NF1 is usually diagnosed in childhood.

Nick was diagnosed at just 15-months old, underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and brain surgeries and had a loss of vision.

While it can be treated to improve quality of life, there is no cure.

“If they have one of the tumors that becomes malignant, sometimes they can become malignant and spread to other parts of the body. So, when that happens, then you can definitely have a short life span,” Newton said.

Back in March, the Cavaliers held a Cavs Bowtie Night during a game to raise money for NF Forward, an organization Dan and his wife Jennifer established in 2017.

The nonprofit aims to fund research and benefit individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis.