General | August 7, 2017 | 14:17

Back in the day, before any of these top notch AAU players that vied for championships at the HYPE Recreation Center in Dearborn Heights were born, the Detroit Public School high school basketball championships ran through westside rivals Southwestern and Cooley.

The rivalry grew vicious and ugly.

On one side was Cooley coach Ben Kelso, who introduced patient basketball to an impatient league. And on the other side was Antoine "The Judge" Joubert, who used to light up gyms on a nightly basis before taking his trade to the University of Michigan where he won two Big Ten titles and an NIT title.

None of Joubert's players know his legacy and know that he averaged 35 points per game one year in high school.

"No, they don't know any of that," laughed Joubert.

Now the bitter rivals are a team.

Kelso coaches Joubert's "Judge's Court Basketball Club." He guided the 17-year-old team to an easy 64-40 victory in the gold medal game Sunday over the Michigan Express, a team that the "Court" lost to by 10 points earlier in the season.

This time Kelso let Caleb Bates loose inside for 33 points, and his son Jalen Kelso (West Bloomfield High School) didn't worry about scoring.

Instead, he spread the wealth to Bates, who will play at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, and to his shooters, as the Court ran off to an early lead and were never threatened.

It was easy for Joubert to add Kelso to his team.

Joubert didn't look back at the rivalry as much as he looked at Kelso as someone who can teach him new ways to win at Oakland Community College, which is where Joubert is the head coach.

Joubert's high school coach Perry Watson implemented an in-your-face, break-down-your-manhood style of basketball, while Kelso brought more structure to Cooley. Both ways worked.

"I got the best of both worlds," Joubert said while laughing. "I have both mentorships, two different styles. But I learned so much."

Joubert began coaching, after he retired from playing professionally and working at Chrysler. His AAU team is celebrating its 10th year, and has won several national championships while almost always making the finals of tournaments.

Kelso and Joubert bumped into one another at the Oakland Community College gym, and formed a coaching bond soon after. Both bring basketball playing experience to the table.

Kelso played briefly for the Detroit Pistons after graduating from Central Michigan University.

Joubert won Michigan's Mr. Basketball award in 1983, and played professionally overseas.

With Kelso's old high school structure in place, Joubert's team emphasizes education.

Players are tutored, and are not allowed to play if they have a subpar grade point average.

Joubert is proud that his son's older team placed eight players into Division I.

"That's all we need," he said.