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CLEVELAND -- At 7-foot-3, Zydrunas Ilgauskas towered over everyone yet stayed completely down to earth. Soft-spoken and doggedly determined, Ilgauskas, who overcame serious injuries and personal tragedy to become one of Clevelands best and most beloved players, will have his No. 11 jersey retired Saturday night during an elaborate halftime ceremony certain to be emotionally poignant. The seventh player in team history to receive the honour, Ilgauskas joins Austin Carr, Nate Thurmond, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty and Mark Price in having his number raised to the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena. All of them have career credentials worthy of the tribute, but the celebration for Ilgauskas goes far beyond any statistics. "Throw basketball stuff out the window," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "Hes a terrific human being." Ilgauskas will be joined at the celebration by his wife, Jennifer, and their adopted sons, Deividas and Povilas. Hell be surrounded by family members, friends, former coaches and teammates, including LeBron James, who was invited by Ilgauskas and wanted to support the player known simply as "Z." "Probably one of the most talented guys I ever played with," James said. Ilgauskas conquered career-threatening foot injuries to become a two-time NBA All-Star as well as the Cavs career leader in rebounds (5,904), games played (771) and blocks (1,269). Hes second on the scoring list, behind only James. A gentle giant off the floor, Ilgauskas accomplished it all through hard work, enduring endless hours of grueling rehab and treatment to fulfil a dream that began as a small boy playing soccer and volleyball in Lithuania. Ilgauskas spent 12 seasons with the Cavs, and for a long stretch of his tenure he was the only good thing about the franchise. That all changed when James arrived in 2003, and along with Ilgauskas -- an odd couple if there ever was one -- they led the Cavs to their only NBA finals appearance in 2007. One of the enduring moments in Cleveland sports over the last 30 years was James and Ilgauskas wrapping their arms around each other to celebrate the Cavs win over Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals. After being traded, Ilgauskas followed James to Miami and played one season with the Heat. Ilgauskas retired in 2011, but returned to the Cavs the following year and has been working as a special assistant to the general manager. Hes always been special. Ilgauskas connected with Cleveland fans like few pro athletes. Big Z endeared himself with his perseverance, resilience, loyalty and a dry, self-deprecating sense of humour. Shortly after undergoing his second major foot surgery, Ilgauskas quipped he "had as much hardware as Home Depot" in his feet. The Cavs selected Ilgauskas with the 20th overall pick in 1996, and after a promising rookie season in 1997-98, he encountered the first of many medical obstacles. Shortly after signing a six-year, $71 million contract, he broke his left foot just five games into the 1998-99 season. It didnt heal properly and Ilgauskas sat out the entire 1999-2000 season. Ilgauskas seemed poised to become one of the leagues top centres, but felt a sharp pain in his left foot during a game in Miami. Ilgauskas took himself out, and broke down in the locker room after, knowing his playing days might be over at 25. After visiting foot specialists across the country, Ilgauskas underwent a risky operation to have his left foot radically reconstructed. He tortured himself during workouts to get back, and spent countless hours getting treatment on his feet, which required extensive icing before and after he played. It all paid off when Ilgauskas was named an All-Star reserve in 2003. There were other hardships, the most challenging in 2007 when he and Jennifer lost the twins she was carrying. Through it all, Ilgauskas was the consummate teammate. "Zs like a big brother to me," Cavs centre Anderson Varejao said. "He helped me a lot in this league, with everything, basketball, on the road. When I got here I didnt speak any English. He put me under his wing and took care of me. Hes a big part of my life." And in Cleveland, Ilgauskas has always been so much more than big. Kyle Van Noy Jersey . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Elandon Roberts Jersey . 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LUTON, England -- Only six England players in Brazil will have previous World Cup experience after Roy Hodgson turned to younger players who have impressed him with their spirited Premier League performances. The oldest squad member is midfielder Frank Lampard, who turns 36 next month, while the youngest is 18-year-old defender Luke Shaw, who only made his international debut in March. Eleven members of the 23-man squad have made 10 appearances or fewer for England, which opens its campaign in Brazil against Italy on June 14. "Circumstances will prove whether the decision to take the younger player was right or not," Hodgson said at the squad announcement at a car factory in Luton, north of London. "You get experience by getting the opportunity. Its wrong to focus totally on the fact there are those who are inexperienced because everyone is inexperienced until they get the chance to do the job. I think theyve played so well and been so effective in their club teams that theyve really imposed their ability on my thinking." Shaw, who is being pursued by Manchester United in the summer transfer window, displaced 33-year-old Ashley Cole from the squad to be understudy at left back to Leighton Baines. But, with Cole announcing his international retirement after being dropped, the decision could backfire if Baines is injured in the first warm-up match. "If Baines suffered an injury ... it would make the selection of Shaw a very bad selection," Hodgson said. In a squad captained by 33-year-old Steven Gerrard, fellow midfielder Lampard made the cut whereas Michael Carrick, who went to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, is only on the standby list following a lacklustre season with Manchester United. "Frank is a very important part of our setup and you shouldnt think about players in terms of age, but of position," Hodgson said. "When youre in midfield you have many more positions to choose from. "Frank has been captain on many occasions and has been vice captain to Steven Gerrard. He still plays an important role for his club (Chelsea) and we think his leadership qualities and his abilities will help us in the summer." In the search for dynamismm, Hodgson is taking 19-year-old Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley, a 20-year-old Everton midfielder, despite having only five appearances between them.dddddddddddd "Hes a very, very exciting player, a very exciting talent and if he can continue at that level he has a very exciting future ahead of him," Hodgson said of Barkley. "But I would hope people will temper their expectations of him." Hodgson has selected four strikers: Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool and Rickie Lambert, who has climbed with Southampton from the third tier to the Premier League. "Ive been suffering with my sleep and getting up in the middle of the night because Im just lying there thinking about the possibility of going to the World Cup," said Lambert, who has scored two goals in his four England appearances. "Over the last week, Ive been sleeping less and less and last night it was virtually impossible because my head was everywhere." Lambert has pushed Jermain Defoe, who moved to Toronto FC earlier this year, and West Hams Andy Carroll to the standby list. "Im sure if Id picked a squad after the final qualifier in October it would have looked quite different, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then," Hodgson said. "You cant ignore what people are doing on a week-to-week basis and your decision is based on who is the best man for the job." ------ Squad: Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion) Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United) Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United) Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '