DURHAM, N.C. _ Already on good terms with Mike Krzyzewski from their shared Olympic experiences, LeBron James hopes the 71-year-old Krzyzewski can coach his son one day.
When ESPN posted a video of Krzyzewski defending R.J. Barrett from Duke fan criticism this week, James commented favorably on Instagram.
"Love Coach K! The absolute BEST! Hope he's still at the helm when my boy comes up." James wrote.
LeBron James Jr., 14, visited the Duke campus last summer along with his North Coast Blue Chips summer-league team. A video of their visit has been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube.
LeBron James, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, played for the U.S. national team Krzyzewski coached to Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London games.
He skipped college to head straight for the NBA in 2003 and was the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Current draft rules require players to be a year removed from high school before entering the draft. Unless that rule is changed, LeBron James Jr. would need to play a year in college prior to beginning an NBA career.
Both he and his father have shown an affinity for the Duke program, provided Krzyzewski is still coaching in 2023.
