“My mom would get tickets”: Duke star Sion James opens up about being the program’s biggest fan growing up
Unlike former UNC star Armando Bacot, Sion James grew up as a Duke Blue Devils fan and sided with the program for his collegiate journey. While Bacot was aligned to commit to the Blue Devils, a conversation with Tar Heels' then-coach Roy Williams altered his decision.
While Sion James played four seasons for the Tulane Green Wave, one of his prime reasons to transfer to the Blue Blood school was being a fan of the program. He shared the same on the Brotherhood Podcast when Caleb Foster inquired about his knowledge of the program.
"Me and my best friend, we were big Duke fans," James said. "Anytime they would come play Georgia Tech, my mom would get tickets. We would go to games. Always grew up watching Duke games. There's something different about the logo. Something different about the players that come through. Its always stood out to me," he added.
"I think the last two games was maybe 7 or so years ago. I think it was a team like, Zion and RJ Barret and all of them. They came to Georgia Tech, and we went to watch the game. Who knew that so many years later, I'd be sitting in those chairs? It's awesome," James followed.
Sion James declared for the draft after his last season with Tulane but withdrew early to exercise his final year college eligibility through the portal.
He averaged 14 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals last season, posting multiple 20-point games and a 28-point double-double in the season-ending loss to North Texas.
What does Sion James bring to Duke?
James is known to be a vocal leader on the court and arrives as a top-15 shooting guard in the market. He will act as a veteran for coach Jon Scheyer as the Blue Devils will aim to work around their top recruit in the nation, Cooper Flagg.
Sion James can play big minutes on the court while maintaining efficiency and has shown significant improvement each year. His shot mechanics improved in the first offseason. He learned to pick up his battles on both sides of the floor in the 2022-23 stretch and evolved to be a reliable scorer last year.
Moreover, his predraft workouts experience with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Detroit Pistons should also help add an extra paddle to his performance this year.