Sports
‘LeBron watches us’: Duquesne coach talks Akron roots ahead of game at former high school
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.
As they left the complex, Gloria James — the mother of the NBA superstar — came out and talked to Joyce. Some of Joyce’s players then begged him to hop off the bus so they could talk to the mother of their favorite player. That’s when a few of them learned that she and her son had watched Duquesne’s game against Villanova last weekend.
“Immediately, they were like, ‘LeBron … watched us?'” Joyce said about his team’s reaction. “What it does for our team is it elevates us.”
Joyce said he hopes Saturday’s game can help his team understand the legacy of the NBA superstar in his hometown and beyond. He said he and James have talked about his stint as a college coach who is now in his second season with the program. But they mostly talk the way friends do.
“More than anything, it’s still a loyalty, a trust and bond that we have,” he said.
That connection will be the theme on Saturday.
Joyce said family members and friends will be in attendance on Saturday. That list will include some of his former teammates.
While it seems unlikely James will be able to attend the game on Saturday — the Lakers have a road game against the Utah Jazz on Sunday — Joyce said he won’t be shocked if there are a few surprises.
“I don’t know who walks through that door on Saturday,” he said.
Overall, however, Joyce said he’s excited to extend the memory of a high school team that was led by the No. 1 pick of the 2003 NBA draft and coached by his father, Dru Joyce II, through Saturday’s matchup against Northeastern in Akron.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said.
He will pay penalties as part of his return through the tour’s limited “Returning Member Program.”
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Xabi Alonso has left his job as Real Madrid coach “by mutual consent,” the club announced on Monday.
The news comes a day after Alonso’s Madrid were beaten 3-2 by Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Alonso has been replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa, who had been coach of Madrid’s reserve team, Castilla.
Alonso came under pressure before Christmas after a difficult run of just two wins in eight games, including defeats to Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Manchester City, but the team’s form had improved since, with five victories before Sunday’s Clásico loss.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his tenure as first-team coach,” the club said in a brief statement on Monday.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans, because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.”
Alonso took over from predecessor Carlo Ancelotti this past summer after impressing at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the side to the Bundesliga title for the first time in its history in 2024.
Alonso played for Madrid between 2009 and 2014, winning one Champions League, one LaLiga title and two Copas del Rey.
He began his tenure as Madrid coach with a run to the semifinals in this past summer’s Club World Cup, where they were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain.
In 2025-26, the team began the season with 13 wins in 14 games in all competitions — including beating Barcelona 2-1 in the first Clásico of the season — before November’s poor run of results.
Arbeloa, 42, began his career as a player at Madrid before a spell at Liverpool, where he played alongside Alonso. The defender returned to Madrid in 2009 and spent seven seasons at the club before returning to coach with the academy in 2020.
Arbeloa also helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Final consultations on Pakistan’s squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the upcoming home T20I series against Australia are expected later this week.
Sources said white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is set to arrive in Lahore after Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka concludes.
Once the consultation process is completed, the squad will be announced with the approval of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The PCB has already submitted a preliminary list of players to the ICC for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
However, it is understood that the PCB can make changes to the submitted list without ICC approval until January 31.
Members of the national T20I squad are returning home today after completing the series in Sri Lanka.
Head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha are expected to hold final discussions with the selectors before the squad is finalised.
Sources say the probable players include captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan and Abrar Ahmed.
Other players under consideration are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay, while Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Usman Tariq are likely to be named among the reserve players.
Meanwhile, the PCB has forwarded a proposed schedule for Australia’s T20 International tour of Pakistan to Cricket Australia. According to sources, two draft itineraries have been shared for a three-match T20I series.
The proposed plans suggest that the Australian team could arrive in Pakistan either on January 26 or 27, with departure scheduled for February 2 or 3.
The series is tentatively structured to include two back-to-back matches, followed by a one-day break before the third and final T20I.
It is understood that fixtures have been proposed for January 29 and 31, while the third and final match is expected to be played on February 1.
Pakistan, the 2009 champions, will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.
They will face the USA on February 10, followed by clashes against arch-rivals India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18 in their final group-stage match.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka, starting with four Group A fixtures in Colombo, while Super Eight matches are scheduled to be held in Colombo and Kandy.
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