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LeBron James, Dwyane Wade send message to Jai Lucas after being hired by Miami

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•03/06/25
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The Miami Hurricanes recently decided to hire Jai Lucas to be the captain of their basketball program. And Lucas has a remarkable reputation as a recruiter. He’s also very well connected in the basketball world, as we saw on Thursday, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sent him special messages after he was hired.

There were plenty of other basketball players in the video, including Anthony Edwards, Tristan Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and Jared McCain.

“Coach Jai Lucas, man, I just wanna say congratulations to you, man, on your head coaching job down there at the University of Miami. The U, that’s what they call it, man. They’re going to welcome you with open arms. It’s all nothing but love down there. It’s all family. And I know you’re going to have a great time,” James began.

“Congratulations to you and your family. And go ahead and do big things, man. Truly, truly unbelievable accomplishment. And wish you nothing but the best of luck. And you’ve got my support. You’ve got all of our support down there that we’ve been able to accumulate down there in the 305. Go ahead and do your thing. And I’ll be watching, for sure. Salute to ya.”

Wade chimed in with a brief message, “Yo, Jai, man you come from a heritage of great basketball minds. Congratulations to you and your entire family on the Miami job. Respect.”

Jai Lucas first public comments on the Miami job

“I am incredibly grateful and honored to be the next head coach at the University of Miami,” Lucas said. “Miami has everything you need to compete at the highest level — elite academics, a passionate fan base, and a commitment to excellence in athletics. Beyond that, the city of Miami has a rich culture and energy that makes this an incredibly special place. The history, diversity, and passion for sports here are second to none.”

Lucas played his own college basketball at Florida and Texas. He’d play professionally in Latvia and in the G-League before he began his coaching career as an assistant at Texas. Since then, he’s made stops at Kentucky and Duke. He’s been with the Blue Devils since 2022 and has been their associate head coach.

“I look forward to building on an incredible foundation and leading this program into an exciting new era,” Lucas said. “My family and I can’t wait to get to Coral Gables and get to work.”

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.