Juli Boeheim knows some people see her husband as a gruff, nasally-voiced 76-year old who seemingly has been coaching men’s basketball at Syracuse University since Dr. James Naismith first hung up a peach basket.
But she knows a softer side of her husband, especially when it comes to his youngest son, Jackson, who is known as Buddy. Juli recalls Jim and Buddy sitting on the couch watching cartoons or basketball games, Buddy with his blanket and stuffed animals, Jim’s hand gently resting somewhere on Buddy, often on the top of his head. She fondly remembers the times she and her husband would set up a small basketball hoop for the three children — Buddy, his twin sister, Jamie, and their older brother, Jimmy — and watch as they ran, one by one, into the playroom to dunk the ball.