Former James teammates back together in TBT play

“Just a kid from Akron.”

These days, the phrase is almost as known as the player it is associated with.

In Los Angeles, Lebron James is preparing for his second season with the Lakers as one of the biggest stars in the NBA and all of sports. But thousands of miles away, in a sparsely decorated, fluorescent-lit, multipurpose gym at the Capital Center, two other kids from Akron who once were teammates of James keep their love of the game alive in a different way.

A shared childhood. A shared passion. Separate paths.

Since playing ball with James in the Amateur Athletic Union and at Akron St. Vincent-st. Mary, Dru Joyce III and Romeo Travis have had careers unlike their childhood friend.

Playing together at the University of Akron, Joyce and Travis have jumped across multiple international leagues after going unselected in the 2007 NBA draft. Now, each 34 years old, the pair returned to their home state to participate in The Basketball Tournament as part of the Mid American Unity, a team made up of former players from the MidAmerican Conference.

No $154 million contracts. No 9,440-square-foot homes. Just a love for the game.

Playing together again for the first time in a long time, Travis and Joyce relished the opportunity to be teammates once more.

“It means a lot,” Travis said. “We’re really good friends, our wives are friends, our kids go to school together. It’s great to play with him as both of our games have evolved. We played together as boys. It’s great to play together as men.”

Mid American Unity won its TBT opener Friday, 80-71 over Kohl Blooded, a group with Wisconsin ties, before falling Saturday 80-78 to Red Scare, a Dayton contingent. Travis was the leading scorer of the first game with 20 points, making 4 of 7 three-point attempts. In the loss to Red Scare, Joyce kept Unity hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that gave the Unity a 77-74 lead.

For Joyce, after spending so many years abroad, it felt good playing back in Ohio.

“For four years in high school, I was in Columbus every year doing what we needed to do,” Joyce said, referring to SVSM’S state championship appearances from 2000 to ‘03 at Value City Arena. “It’s very comfortable here. It was a lot of fun — I haven’t played in Ohio in a long, long time.”