Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill opened up about a harrowing experience overseas, which took place long before he became a pro.
During a recent appearance on “The Old Man and The Three,” the former Utah State Aggies star left Cavaliers teammates Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen shocked after telling a story about the time when he and his companion got assaulted in Nicaragua.
Sam Merrill, who spent two years in Nicaragua on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said a group of guys tried to rob them of their phones, and while that was happening, he was hit in the face by a “big rock,” leaving him bloody. Although he and his friend were rescued by their leaders, the ordeal left him missing two teeth.
Sam Merrill shares a story about the time he was mugged in Nicaragua.
— Jaylon Tyson Fan Club (@IsaacOkoroFan) February 27, 2026
I now think Sam Merrill might quietly be the most interesting player in the league😂😂😂
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Fortunately for Merrill, that traumatic incident did not cost him his basketball career. He later played for four years for the Aggies, averaging 16.8 points per game, while building a reputation as a deadly outside shooter, as he made 41.0% percent of his 3-point attempts in 131 games with the Aggies.
In 2020, Merrill was taken by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the NBA draft before suiting up for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cavs, who signed him to a 4-year, $38 million contract in 2025.
