$1bn worth LeBron James gives a nod to new Duquesne HC hire Dru Joyce: "The PERFECT GUY"

The announcement of Dru Joyce III as the new head coach of the Duquesne Dukes gets the nod from LeBron James, a former LA Lakers and NBA legend who played on the same high school team as the young coach.

"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!" James tweeted on X. "So damn happy and proud of you my brother!"

The pair were teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s high school, after which James was picked No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

They were coached by Keith Dambrot whom Joyce took over as coach of Duquesne and the Dukes were the first program to offer James's son, Bryce James a scholarship in 2022.

On X, the $1 billion-worth James (as per Forbes) showed his support for his former teammate, tweeting the Dukes' announcement tweet with the caption:

"The PERFECT GUY!!!"

Dru Joyce on his new coaching gig with Duquesne

Following the announcement, Dru Joyce said it was his dream job and thanked his mentor, coach Keith Dambrot.

"I've wanted to be an NCAA Division I head coach since I was 14 years old, so I'm overwhelmed with joy to be named the next head coach at Duquesne University," Joyce said.

"I'm looking forward to expanding on the legacy that Keith Dambrot has built the last seven years, and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to make an impact with the student-athletes, coaches and staff to make our program one that Duquesne and the surrounding region can be proud of."

Dru Joyce played in the same St. Vincent-St. Mary’s high school team as LeBron James under coach Keith Dambrot before playing college basketball for the Akron Zips for four years.

He went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft and moved to Europe, where he spent 12 years playing for teams in Germany, Poland, France and Belarus before retiring to become a coach.

First, he was an assistant coach for the Cleveland State Vikings for three years before accepting an associate head coaching position at Duquesne under his mentor, Dambrot.

During his two seasons in that position, he helped lead the Dukes to a 45-25 record, an Atlantic 10 tournament win and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1977. The Dukes also won their first March Madness game since 1969 when they beat the No. 3 seeded BYU Cougars 71-67.

Duquesne Duke supporters will be encouraged by Dru Joyce's appointment, and they will also have one of the greatest basketball players cheering them on.