Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Some kids are born into a sport.

Some kids get assigned one — like it’s stitched into the family last name, sewn into the bloodline, locked into a legacy they didn’t choose but are expected to carry.

And sometimes that legacy comes with baggage.

Pressure.

Expectations.

A spotlight you didn’t ask for.

The kind of weight that can sit on your shoulders long before you ever step on a varsity floor. By high school, that pressure can turn into burnout — and the sport you once loved becomes the sport you’re quietly counting the days to escape.

But for Wilkes-Barre Area senior star David Jannuzzi Jr., that hasn’t been the story.

He’s humble. Quiet-spoken. A man of few words who doesn’t carry himself like he’s owed anything. He doesn’t chase headlines. He doesn’t flex stats. When he talks, it’s about teammates — how he can make them better, how some nights he’ll have it rolling, and other nights he’ll need the guys around him to carry a stretch.

That mindset stood out to me — especially because around here, the Jannuzzi name carries real weight.

I first heard the backstory Thanksgiving weekend 2024 while covering a Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack game — a tight 65–63 win. Before tip-off, a parent walked over and started talking hoops, casually pointing out who could really play. Then she mentioned David Jannuzzi Jr. Without missing a beat, she smiled and pointed toward the seats — “his dad is right there by the team.”

The way she said it?

It wasn’t casual. It was nostalgic. Like she was remembering something bigger than just stats. She smiled the kind of smile that lingers. Went on and on about his dad’s game. Almost like she was remembering a legend in real time.

That’s when it hit me.

This isn’t just a last name people recognize.

Around here, it’s a name people remember.

Because when people see “Jannuzzi” stitched across a jersey, it doesn’t just sound familiar — it comes attached to a résumé.

Long before David Jr. put his own stamp on games, his dad — Dave Jannuzzi — was building a résumé that turned into local basketball folklore.

At Meyers High School, Dave wasn’t just a basketball player — he played basketball and tennis — but on the hardwood, the story exploded. He finished top 10 in more than 35 categories at Wilkes, essentially rewriting the record books. As a freshman, he was named Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year. Then he became Freedom Conference MVP as a sophomore, junior, and senior.

And it didn’t stop there.

At Wilkes University, the accolades stacked: All-American honors. Conference championships. Deep postseason runs. A Division III Final Four runner-up season — the kind of accomplishment that echoes through a community for decades. Then he took his game overseas and into the semi-pro ranks — playing in Italy, lighting up the EBA, winning league honors, even setting a 67-point scoring record during a stretch where he averaged nearly 30 points per game. Years later, he was still competing — becoming a co-owner/player for the Wyoming Valley Clutch and pouring back into youth basketball in this valley.

So yeah…

The name carries weight.

But David Jr. isn’t trying to recreate his dad’s story.

He isn’t hiding from it.

He isn’t living in its shadow.

He’s building his own.

One possession.

One game.

One season at a time.

“I really don’t feel any pressure because of my name. I believe I have created my own pathway and established my name,” said Wilkes-Barre Area senior David Jannuzzi Jr.

Last year, he crossed the 1,000-career-point milestone as a junior — something that doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t happen without early mornings, empty gyms, repetition when no one’s watching. And when he stepped to the line for that free throw?

He knew exactly where he was looking.

“I mostly remember seeing Coach Lavan and us sharing a smile right before I hit the free throw for my 1,000. When I hit it I looked right for my dad because we both knew the amount of work that took and he was the person who created the desire I had for it.”

His father will never forget that moment either.

But long before the 1,000th point, there was another moment — one that told him everything. Second grade. CYC championship game. His son hit a game-winning three.

“Even at that age you could see he wanted the ball in that moment,” said David Jannuzzi Sr.

And for a dad who has lived the game, the milestones mean something deeper.

“Each of the milestones, especially the 1000 point and league title happing on the same night was a special moment. It showcased exactly the type of teammate and player he is. Playing his best in the biggest moments. But, I’m most proud of the human being he has become. Is lives, breathes trying to be the best at everything he does, but he does it trying to bring everyone along with him. Hes has always been we before me. He just wants to win with his guys. Straight A STEM student that never put himself in bad spots. And truly wants the best for all his family, teammates and friends. Truly a great human being.”

Being a dad and a coach isn’t easy either.

“Very difficult being a dad coach. But I tried to treat him like everyone else. Most important lessons I tried to instill was be a great teammate 1st, do whatever the team needs to win and work for the level you want to play at.”

When David Jr. transitioned from AAU to varsity as a freshman, the adjustment wasn’t physical.

It was mental.

“The biggest adjustment came with the mental side of basketball. There was a level of film and IQ that was next level especially from the opposing coaches and the way they game planned against me.”

And behind every highlight clip is a reality most fans never see.

“Fans don’t see the early mornings and the late nights. All the times I’ve done something that I didn’t want to do just because I know my goal. All the blood and tears that have gone into it and the things I’ve sacrificed.”

Last season, the Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack captured the Wyoming Conference division title.

“It showed to every doubter that I could be the leader of a championship team and was something we wanted so desperately as a team to win. Just all of our hard work paying off.”

At 5-foot-9, he doesn’t fit the prototype.

But he fits the moment.

“I definitely have to play with a chip on my shoulder but being short comes with advantages. I’m lower to the ground making it easier to get around people and split through guys because they can’t get as low as me, along with using pace and IQ.”

And yes, the comparisons still come.

“I realized when I was younger and people would also ask me if I wanted to be as good as my dad. I always said I wanted to be better. Ik people will compare me and him and it doesn’t affect me, if anything it shows me that I’ve come a long way to be considered as great as him, but always have much more work to do to surpass him.”

Right now, he sits around 1,400 career points.

But he’s not finished.

Wilkes-Barre Area enters the PIAA District 2 Class 6A playoffs as the No. 1 seed, sitting on a bye and preparing for next Monday’s matchup against the winner of Scranton and Hazleton.

And the goal?

It’s bigger than numbers.

“Our biggest goal for this year is to win a district championship and to win a state game which has never been done by Wilkes- Barre before. People should know that we have a desire to win and that is our only goal.”

Some legacies are inherited.

Others are built.

David Jannuzzi Jr. isn’t trying to carry a name.

He’s carving one.

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