During the early 2000s, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School’s basketball team, led by Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James, became the top team in the United States, winning three state championships. James and his friends referred to themselves as “The Fab Five,” inspired by the University of Michigan team that gained cultural significance in the ’90s. As a high school basketball star, James was dubbed “The Chosen One” and received considerable media attention. James went on to be drafted No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, starting a legendary NBA career, including four championships, four MVP awards, and becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer. Although none of his former St. Vincent-St. Mary teammates made it to the NBA, they have each found success in various fields. Here is a closer look at where the other members of the celebrated Fab Five are now, following high school.
Dru Joyce III, also known as Lil’ Dru, was the starting point guard for St. Vincent-St. Mary before embarking on a successful overseas basketball career that spanned 12 seasons in Germany, France, and Belarus. After retiring from playing in 2019, he became an assistant coach at Cleveland State University before joining Duquesne as the team’s associate head coach in 2022, where he reunited with head coach Keith Dambrot, who had coached Joyce, James, and the Fab Five during their time at St. Vincent-St. Mary. Sian Cotton, the team’s big man, went on to play college football as a defensive tackle at The Ohio State University, but after seeing limited playing time, he transferred to Youngstown State and then NAIA Walsh University to finish his football career. Afterwards, he discovered his passion for music, and in 2013, one of his songs was featured on the NBA 2K14 video game soundtrack, which was curated by LeBron James. Willie McGee played football at Fairmont State University after graduating from high school and then returned to St. Vincent-St. Mary as an assistant coach before becoming the Athletic Director. He has since held coaching positions at Akron East High School, the University of Akron, and Chowan University. In 2016, he founded the D.A.L.E program, an organization that creates events for disabled and disadvantaged local children, focused on education, athletics, and empowerment. Romeo Travis continued to pursue basketball after high school, playing at the University of Akron and becoming the school’s all-time leader in blocks. He then played professionally overseas for 14 years, winning championships in the Balkan League and the French Pro A League and earning league MVP honors during the latter. He most recently played for Limoges CSP in France in 2021.
