Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is over 21 years removed from his last game of high school basketball. And despite the fact that he has achieved greater heights than just about any athlete in the history of sports, he has never forgotten about the friends and family that helped him get to those goals, including one of his high school teammates in Dru Joyce.
Joyce and James have been friends since their days together at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. And although the two of them have been on very different basketball journeys in the two decades since, both have undoubtedly found success in their own lane. Joyce played professional basketball overseas for 12 seasons, before returning to the United States to coach at Cleveland State as an assistant in 2019. By 2022, he worked his way to being the associate head coach at Duquesne University under Keith Dambrot, who coached both Joyce and James in high school.
And now, in 2024, the Duquesne Dukes made a surprise NCAA Men’s Tournament bid and won their Round of 64 game in Dambrot’s final season at the helm. James even gifted the team some shoes before the start of the tournament.
With Dambrot announcing his retirement, Joyce’s associate tag was removed and he was named the full-time head coach of the program. And best of all, James himself got to break the news on social media and congratulate his good friend:
I’m proud to announce! As the unquestioned source I am confirming that Dru Joyce is the new HC at Duquesne University and is meeting with the team right now! So damn happy and proud of you my brother!!! @DruOnDemand @DuqMBB 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #GoDukes❤️💙🤍
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 28, 2024
For Joyce, this is a huge opportunity to take over a program that has immediate name recognition due to their performance in this year’s Men’s March Madness tournament. It is years of hard work as a pro athlete overseas and as a coach at the college level paying off. It’s undoubtedly cool for James, as a close personal friend, to see Joyce succeed.
James has always made it a point to surround himself with the best of the best, and in Joyce, he certainly has that.
LeBron James: Rui Hachimura looks comfortable in starting lineup
Rui Hachimura had one of his best performances on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies by posting 32 points and 10 rebounds. James spoke about Hachimura’s success and how his comfort level has been significantly higher since he was placed back in the starting lineup in early February.
Hachimura has been a starter for the last 23 games and the Lakers are 16-7 since head coach Darvin Ham made that lineup adjustment.
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