Duquesne coach Dru Joyce III talks Akron roots, relationship with LeBron - ESPN

A few weeks ago, Duquesne head coach Dru Joyce III sent a text message to a lifelong friend.

That friend quickly responded, which is the norm for most long-term friendships but extraordinary when you consider that friend is Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

«I just hit him the other day about a weak-side defense question, just to pick his brain on how he would play it,» Joyce told ESPN about his former high school teammate. «And he got back to me just with a bunch of confidence and said, 'No, I think you're going about it the right way.' So we get to share in those basketball moments.»

On Saturday, Joyce will celebrate the legacy of James and the rest of their high school team with a matchup against Northeastern on LeBron James Court at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, their hometown. The game is free to attend. More than 20 years ago, James, Joyce and their teammates led the school to a state title in Ohio. Now Joyce will play his second consecutive game at his alma mater.

«This one is close to the heart, man. It is special,» he said. «I still approach it just like every game, but from the emotional side, man, I'm back home. I'm amongst my family and friends. This is the city that raised me. A lot of my journey happened, from a basketball standpoint, and just an overall connection with people at St. Vincent-St. Mary, and the opportunity to bring my team here to experience Akron, and I get to show them a bit of my hometown.»

To capture the full experience on Friday, Joyce took his team to the I Promise School, which was created by the LeBron James Family Foundation. The LeBron James Museum and House Three Thirty, a multiuse space also created by James' foundation, were part of the team's tour, too.

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