Former ‘Mr. Basketball’ Dupay discovers glory days later in life

High school and college could have been the glory years for South Tampa resident Teddy Dupay. Instead, he now has found his best years as the head of the Teddy Dupay Basketball Academy.

Some people know Dupay as the former high school All-American point guard and University of Florida basketball star who was kicked out of college for gambling on college sports.

Parents such as Norman Harris of Brandon, who recently passed, think of him as the coach who teaches their children jump shots, layups, dribbling, footwork, passing, and defense.

Harris said his sons, Jacob, 17, an eleventh-grader, and Henry, 15, a ninth-grader, have gone to Dupay for extensive basketball training.

“Teddy’s attitude has definitely helped them a ton — his positive attitude,” Harris said. “He knows the technique. Teddy was Mr. Florida his senior year in high school. He still holds the scoring records for the state of Florida for high school.”

Jacob, a home-schooler, plays junior varsity for the Newsome High basketball team. Both of his sons play for the East Tampa Youth Basketball Association travel team.

Harris said Dupay impresses the young athletes with his extraordinary skills.

“The mistakes he has made, he has turned things around,” Harris said. “He still loves playing. He has a true heart for the kids and relates well to them.”

Dupay said his academy is all about teaching young people basketball fundamentals. Practice does not make perfect if people practice the wrong moves, he says.

“Our goals every day is to just do your best,” Dupay said. “Our goal is to improve every day. I’m a big believer in what you do sometimes is what you do all the time. You aren’t going to be able to turn it on and turn it off.”

He said they have a consistent training schedule for training including every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

“Some kids think they can train for a couple of times,” Dupay said. “Right before tryouts, we see a big push. A lot of kids want to get a couple of training sessions completed before tryouts. Hopefully, once they are around enough, they realize that’s not the mindset that will help them achieve big goals.”

“We have a waiting list forming now but are waiting on confirmation of gym dates,” he said.

Dupay said he is also focused on being a good father to his 15-year old daughter Hannah and being a Christian.

He believes in teaching integrity and teamwork.

“This is what I do,” he said. “I want to make God happy every day. This is what I’ve been called to do. I love it. It’s my passion.”

For information, visit teddydupay.com.