CLEVELAND — You may have seen the feature "Next Man Up," which showcases Browns players fans may not have known much about. Now, I take the series from the gridiron to the hardwood, highlighting rising stars, new additions and developmental players for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Charge.
In this episode, get to know Charge center Norchad Omier.
Omier was born in Nicaragua, where he grew up playing baseball before trying basketball and falling in love with the sport. He had more fun on the hardwood and began pursuing it passionately, coming to the States to play at Miami Prep and then collegiately at Arkansas State, Miami and Baylor, making him the only DI basketball player from Nicaragua. The Cavs signed Omier to their Summer League roster in 2025 after he went undrafted, and he's since joined the Charge.
In the G League, Omier has been on a tear. This season, he's notched 16 double-doubles, averaging 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He just earned the NBA G League Player of the Week award for the first week of February and was named to the NBA G League Next Up Game at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles.
But off the court, Omier enjoys watching anime and building Legos with his wife, cooking and enjoying a classic Nicaraguan dish, fritanga—but prefers when his mom makes it (because who's cooking is better than mom's?)
Get to know him more in the episode above.
