Duke's offseason gym sessions turned into a lesson in program tradition this week. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, both Blue Devils alumni and NBA champions, addressed the current roster after joining a scrimmage in Durham, and the video Duke shared showed a message aimed squarely at what awaits this team.

Irving, who spent the 2010-11 season at Duke before going No. 1 overall to Cleveland, focused on the fundamentals that travel from college to the pros. “Communication has to be at an ultimate high level,” he said. “Point guards, guards, it's our jobs to make sure that we organize, make sure that we're at the point of attack, holding the fort down. Make sure we're in the right defensive principles. That goes a long way.”

Two champions, one standard 👿

🙏 @KyrieIrving @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/JmS7FLe91B

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 14, 2026

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He then addressed the reality of playing for one of the sport's biggest brands. “We always say have fun, but we got a target on our back everywhere we go,” Irving said. “So get used to it, get dialed in, I know you guys are. Sophomores, juniors, seniors, lead the freshmen. Guys, keep working.”

Tatum, who played at Duke in 2016-17 before going third overall to Boston, framed the visit as an obligation rather than a favor. “I enjoy coming back, getting to know all y'all,” he said. “When I was here, guys like him, Jabari came back. So it's just our responsibility. Pay it forward, right? Means a lot to this program and we care about you guys. As much as y'all enjoyed this, I know we did too. We just want to see y'all be the best y'all can be.”

The visit was part of a steady stream of alumni returning to campus this month. Paolo Banchero, Cooper Flagg, Jared McCain, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jabari Parker have all taken part in runs, with Mike Krzyzewski and current head coach Jon Scheyer on hand for some of the sessions. Assistant coach Amile Jefferson also joined the scrimmage.

For Irving, the appearance carried extra meaning after he distanced himself from the program in recent years. Both he and Tatum have NBA titles to their names, Irving with the Cavaliers in 2016 and Tatum with the Celtics in 2024.