Crossroads School in Santa Monica has created one of the Westside’s most successful private-school athletics programs.
The Crossroads Roadrunners compete in the Gold Coast League of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section alongside rivals like Brentwood School, Campbell Hall, and Windward.
In its first half century, Crossroads teams have won three state titles, nine CIF Regional titles, 20 CIF Southern Section titles and 149 league championships.
The high school fields more than 25 varsity, junior varsity and freshman/sophomore sports teams, including:
- Baseball (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys/Girls)
- Cross Country (Boys/Girls)
- Flag Football (Coed)
- Golf (Coed)
- Soccer (Boys/Girls)
- Swimming (Coed)
- Tennis (Boys/Girls)
- Track (Boys/Girls)
- Volleyball (Boys/Girls)
Crossroads Basketball
Crossroads Roadrunners basketball functions as a major pipeline for elite NBA talent and high profile celebrity athletes. Because the school caters to many Hollywood families, its home games regularly draw high-profile celebrities, media attention, and viral internet coverage.
Famous actors and NBA stars like LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal have often been spotted in the bleachers during home games. O’Neal’s sons, Shareef and Shaqir both played for the Roadrunners. Shareef famously dropped 29 points and 17 rebounds to capture the 2018 CIF Division II State Championship under long-time head coach Anthony Davis.
The Roadrunners finished the 2025–26 season in first place in league play with a 7–1 record (17–12 overall). They were eliminated in the first round of the CIF Championship by Fairmont Prep. Crossroads will regroup for 2026–27 after losing seven players to graduation. Returning leaders are expected to include point guard Roman Esparza and scorers Shalen Sheppard and Evan Willis.
Championships & Iconic Moments
Crossroads Roadrunners began interscholastic play in 1972-73, shortly after the school opened in 1971.
- 1982: Coach Rich Makoff leads Crossroads to the Small Schools baseball title.
- 1983: Baseball earns a Southern Section title.
- 1986: Baseball wins another Southern Section title and finishes as State Division III runner-up.
- 1987: Coach David Benezra leads Crossroads baseball to a Southern Section title and the program’s first state championship.
- 1992: Boys basketball earns Southern Section V-AA title.
- 1993: Boys basketball, led by Austin Croshere, secures the CIF championship.
- 1997: Baron Davis leads the Roadrunners to a 31-3 season and a state championship.
- 2023: Crossroads athletes earn Gold Coast League honors in golf, cross country, volleyball, and tennis; girls golf wins a league title.
Notable Roadrunner alumni
- Baron Davis (basketball) — National High School Player of the Year (1997); led Crossroads to a state championship; two-time NBA All-Star and a major star with the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets.
- Bronny James (basketball) — The eldest son of LeBron James played middle school and early high school basketball at Crossroads before going on to the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Austin Croshere (basketball) — Starred at Providence College, then played 12 years in the NBA, including helping the Indiana Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals. He later became a sports broadcaster.
- Nicole Gibbs (tennis) — An elite tennis prodigy, she later won back-to-back NCAA Singles Championships in 2012 and 2013 at Stanford. Nicole reached a career-high WTA world ranking of No. 68.
- Shareef O’Neal (basketball) — Shareef led Crossroads to the 2018 CIF Division II State Championship with 29 points in the final. He played collegiately at UCLA and LSU before turning pro.
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