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1 Akron's Keith Dambrot said his relationship with comment LeBron James "resurrected" Zips

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Tweet University of Akron head coach and former St.V-M head coach Keith Dambrot talks with LeBron James before the Irish's game against Dayton Thurgood Marshall in the Division II State Championship game at Value City Arena on Saturday, March 10 28, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. St. V_M won the game 59-53. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal) (PHIL MASTURZO)

Share Share By Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group Print Email 0 Email the author | Follow on Twitter on October 07, 2015 at 6:00 AM, updated October 07, 2015 at 6:55 AM © 2015 Discover Bank, Member FDIC Share

0 INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – LeBron James walked to the corner of Cleveland Clinic Courts, Scoreboard mimicking a ball handler who was about to Wed, Oct 7 Reddit encounter a trap. Preseason Preview: Cleveland 7:00 PM ET Cavaliers vs. James pointed out to his audience that most Atlanta

players caught in that trap look to dump the ball Akron's Keith Dambrot said his Cleveland off near the elbow, rather that reach past the relationship with LeBron James "resurrected" Zips basketball defender to find a teammate cutting to the hoop. Quinn Cook's unyielding pursuit to Scoreboard | Standings | NBA stats The audience for James' lesson was University of make the roster of the Cleveland © 2013 STATS LLC. All rights reserved. Akron men's basketball coach Keith Dambrot Cavaliers, his late father's hometown and his assistants, who traveled to Independence, team Ohio Tuesday to observe Cavs practice. on his wrist injury: Cavaliers Features 'Here we go again' It's unlikely any of Dambrot's Zips have the combined wingspan, court vision, and passing is expected to be ready Photo galleries from for ' opener, but ability of the 6-8, 250-pound, four-time NBA every game that's not realistic for MVP James, but James was nonetheless sharing Latest LeBron James valuable information with his old coach. news

Dambrot, James' first high school coach at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, has known the Latest NBA news and Cavaliers' superstar for about 14 years. They've remained close, and it's a relationship scores Dambrot said has unlocked doors to success for both him and his program.

"He's coaching me now," Dambrot told the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I'm smart enough to ask him, because, like, he's a brilliant guy. So I ask him what he thought was some of the best ways to attack that. Standings Schedule Players

James, who was excused by reporters from taking questions on Tuesday, spent nearly Leaders 30 minutes chatting with Dambrot and his assistants off to the side of Cleveland Clinic Points: LeBron James 25.3 Courts. Rebounds: Kevin Love 9.7 Assists: LeBron James 7.4 Dambrot and James took St. FG%: LeBron James 48.8% Vincent-St. Mary to two Ohio Steals: LeBron James 1.58 state championships in 2000 and 2001. Entering his 12th Blocks: Timofey Mozgov 1.20 season at Akron with a record at the school of 252-121 (including three NCAA tournament appearances), Dambrot says Video Photos James "resurrected my career" with those state championship Can LeBron save Tristan? 7:51 AM teams, and the help didn't stop Uploaded by Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group there.

Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group Safari Power Saver "He's resurrected our program Click to Start Flash Plug-in (at Akron), and then obviously what he's done with the Cavaliers," Dambrot said. "He's just got a knack."

James did not attend college and has close relationships with multiple collegiate athletic programs, including at Ohio State. But his presence around Dambrot's program is apparent. See more Cavaliers videos » Akron's men's team is one of four in – Ohio State, Kentucky, and Miami (Fla.) are the others – with contracts with Nike to wear James' signature shoe, according to the Zips' website. Safari Power Saver Click to Start Flash Plug-in According to the most recent contract with Nike ( Nike.pdf), which runs through 2017, Akron gets 100 pairs of shoes, $15,000 in apparel, and numerous other items from Nike each year as part of the deal.

James also occasionally attends Akron home games (think pictures of him sitting courtside at James A. Rhodes Arena don't make the rounds on social media?) and is now contractually obligated to appear in TV commercials for the university – which Dambrot agrees can only help his or any Zips team.

"The connection with LeBron allows us to get players we wouldn't normally get," Dambrot said. "Just the presence of him in this community has helped our program become a top-level, major program.

"He's been a bigger part (of the program) than people realize," the coach said. "Just having coached LeBron puts you in the mix with some guys. It's crazy but it's that touch he has." Video from CineSport What does James get out of this relationship? The same ear to bend, shoulder upon which to rest, and advice to consider that Dambrot has offered to James since they met before James first entered Dambrot's program.

"I try to stay out of the way," Dambrot said. "I try to be there when he has struggles, which isn't very often. "I texted him during the Finals," Dambrot said, referring to the Cavs' run last year. James and the Cavs open the preseason tonight at Xavier University against Atlanta.  "I talked to him about just trying to stay positive and not letting things bother him. I also, probably, the time before that was the first year in Miami (with the Heat). I probably spent more time with him after that first go around (in Miami), just trying to help him deal with not being the golden child anymore, and people took a lot of shots at him I thought. He wasn't used to that." (http://cinesport.cleveland.com/nfl-

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