Dru Joyce

LaBron James' high school coach and mentor taught him the value of teamwork and excellence beyond individual stardom.Dru Joyce II, often referred to as “Coach Dru,” has been a cornerstone of high school basketball in Akron. He began his coaching journey in 1995, founding the Northeast Ohio Basketball Association (NEOBA) to provide structured opportunities for young athletes. His coaching prowess came to national attention when he led the St. Vincent–St. Mary High School team, featuring his son Dru Joyce III and LeBron James, to multiple state championships and a national title in 2003 .familylife.com+2everything.explained.today+2en.wikipedia.org+2everything.explained.today+3neobasketballassociation.blogspot.com+3neobasketball.com+3wkyc.com+11en.wikipedia.org+11familylife.com+11 Coach Dru's influence extended beyond the court. He authored “Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life,” sharing life lessons gleaned from his coaching experiences. His dedication to youth development and basketball excellence was recognized with his induction into the American Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 .neobasketballassociation.blogspot.com+4everything.explained.today+4en.wikipedia.org+4clevelandmagazine.com+4sportsspectrum.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4stvmathletics.com 🏀 Dru Joyce III: Rising College Coaching Star Dru Joyce III, son of Coach Dru, has carved out his own impressive path in basketball. As a high school player, he was part of the celebrated “Fab Five” at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. He continued his basketball career at the University of Akron, becoming the program's all-time leader in assists. After a 12-year professional playing career in Europe, where he also became the all-time assists leader in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga, he transitioned into coaching .post-gazette.com+8en.wikipedia.org+8everything.explained.today+8hoopdirt.comen.wikipedia.org+1hoopdirt.com+1 In 2024, Joyce III was appointed as the head coach of the Duquesne University men's basketball team. Under his leadership, the team achieved its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1969, marking a significant milestone in the program's history .en.wikipedia.org+13atlantic10.com+13goduquesne.com+13reuters.com Together, Dru Joyce II and Dru Joyce III exemplify a legacy of basketball...