Keith Dambrot is Forever in LeBron James, Dru Joyce III’s Debt

Long before Keith Dambrot took over the Duquesne men’s basketball program and eventually securing an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in 47 years for the Dukes, he was out of a coaching job.

After a tiring search, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School took a chance on him and hired Dambrot in 1998.

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Then came along Dru Joyce III. Joyce wanted the opportunity to play with his friends in high school, one of which happened to be LeBron James.

With those two and others joining Dambrot’s team, the collective won two Ohio state titles.

Just as much as Joyce and James owe their careers to Dambrot, the 65 year old may forever be in their debt as well.

“I got to thank Dru Joyce or little Dru as I call him, which he gets mad at me every time,” Dambrot said at his retirement press conference on Monday. “When I was out of coaching, had Dru not come to Saint Vincent-Saint Mary, I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now. It was his decision to come and his family’s support and belief in me and believing for what I stood for, had it not been for him, I would not be the coach.”

Joyce then went on to play under Dambrot at Akron as the starting point guard with the Zips winning 81 games.

After years playing overseas, Joyce joined the coaching ranks and was eventually hired Dambrot as the Duquesne Associate Head Coach in 2022. Since then, Dambrot has been preparing Joyce to climb the coaching ladder.

Now, with Dambrot announcing his retirement following the season, Joyce is in position to be Dambrot’s successor.

“We’ve been kind of grooming coach Dru to take over for me, and hopefully he gets the job,” Dambrot said. “I’m biased, but I think the program wouldn’t miss a beat if he gets the job. I think there’ll be very little turnover, which we’ve got some good young kids in that room.”

With Joyce serving as a possible replacement, Dambrot wants his work to be carried on to the next leader of the program, and why not someone who is already sitting right next to him.

“Every program I leave, I try and leave it in a better place, so I’m sure our next coach will take to the next level,” Dambrot said.

The connection with his players at SVSM dates back over two decades, but those relationships are still unwavering even until this day.

That has been evident not only with his close-knit relationship with Joyce, but the continual support by James, who was quick to take to social media after Duquesne’s A-10 title.

YESSIRRR!! Punch that 🎟️ to the Big Dance @DuqMBB!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Love you Coach Dambrot & @CoachDruJoyce 🤎🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 17, 2024

Dambrot then received a phone call not long after the game from the four-time NBA champion.

“Shows how much he cares about us – maybe not me so much as Dru,” Dambrot said with a smile. “When a superstar like him calls you after the game, it means something. He knows me well enough to have an inkling that this was going to be it for me. I’m just thankful to have the relationship with him. He’s a better human being than a basketball player.”

With Dambrot’s coaching career coming to a close, he will now have time to pay it back to those who helped propel him to this point in his career, including Joyce and James.