LeBron James Praises Keith Dambrot on 500th Win

There was an outpouring of support for Duquesne Men’s Basketball Coach Keith Dambrot, after his Dukes bested George Mason 75-52 Wednesday evening at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, earning his 500th career victory in the process.

Following the victory, Duquesne released a series of videos on its men’s basketball social media account with appearances ranging from family, administrators and former players.

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Duquesne saved its most notable video for last as LeBron James recorded a brief 45-second message.

“Coach D, my guy,” James said in the video. “Oh my goodness, 500? 500 wins is ridiculous. Man oh man, never cease to amaze me. I want to congratulate you on an incredible feat and many more wins coming in the near future. Enjoy this moment, you deserve it, love you, you’re the best and it shows.”

Dambrot coached James all the way back at age 13 when he competed in $1 clinics the former offered at the local Jewish Community Center.

The pair continued at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School where the Irish were state champions and earned national rankings from the USA TODAY.

James most recently passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most all-time points in NBA history. The two continue to have a relationship, with Dambrot sending associate head coach Dru Joyce III, one of James’s former high school teammates to Los Angeles to celebrate what ended up becoming a big night.

“Congratulations to you, your family, university, coaching staff, players and everybody,” said James. “You deserve this one. Honor yourself, treat yourself well with this one. It’s an unbelievable feat. God bless you and can’t wait to see you again. Love”

From one 🐐 to another#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/BCnBRyHpN3

— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) February 9, 2023