Drew League Explained

The Drew League is a pro–am basketball league held every summer in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1973, the league has grown in popularity over the years, with NBA players regularly participating in its games.

History

The Drew League was founded in 1973 by Alvin Wills, who worked at Charles R. Drew Middle School^[1] and initially counted 6 teams.^[2] The league rose in popularity over the 1980s, with an expanding number of teams^[3] (10 in 1985, 14 in 1988)^[4] and several high-profile high school,^[5] college, and professional players participating in the games.^{[6] [7]} In 1987, Casper Ware Sr. scored 47 points in the Drew League championship game. In 1990 Easy Ed Reed established the all-time high for points scored in a single game with 64. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Drew League organizers decided to keep the league open, offering support to the South Central Los Angeles community.

The league has occasionally attracted NBA players looking for a place to compete during the summer.^{[8] [9]} During the 2011 NBA lockout, the Drew League saw an increase in popularity due to a higher number of NBA players participating. The attendance rose to 800 per game. Over the years, players from various countries such as China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain participated in the Drew League. In 2012, to face the increased number of people attending, the Drew League moved from Leon H. Washington Park gym to King/Drew Magnet High School.^[10] In 2013, Nike started to sponsor the league. In 2016, the average attendance was 1,100. In 2017 the Drew League was featured in the basketball video game NBA Live 18.^[11] Since its foundation, more than 20,000 players have participated in the league. As of 2019, 24 teams compete in the Drew League,^[12] with the highest number of participating teams being 28 in the previous seasons.

The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[13]

Commissioners

• 1973–1984: Alvin Willis^[14]
• 1985–present: Oris "Dino" Smiley

Venues

• 1973–2005: Charles R. Drew Middle School, Compton Avenue, Florence-Graham^[14]
• 2006–2011: Col. Leon H. Washington Park, Maie Avenue, Florence-Graham^[15]
• 2012–present: King/Drew Magnet High School, East 120th Street, Willowbrook^[16]

Notable players

• Greg Anthony^[17]
• Trevor Ariza
• Marvin Bagley III
• Michael Beasley
• Steve Blake
• Bobby Brown^[18]
• LaMelo Ball^[19]
• LiAngelo Ball^[20]
• Jordan Bell^[21]
• Shannon Brown
• Kobe Bryant
• Jordan Clarkson^[22]
• John Collins^[23]
• Darren Collison^[24]
• Lester Conner^[25]
• Michael Cooper
• DeMarcus Cousins^[26]
• Baron Davis
• Glen Davis^[22]
• Austin Daye^[27]
• DeMar DeRozan
• Andre Drummond^[25]
• Kevin Durant
• Tari Eason^[28]
• Tyreke Evans^[29]
• David Fizdale^[26]
• Malachi Flynn^[30]
• The Game^[31]
• Rudy Gay^[26]
• Paul George
• Jonathan Gibson^[24]
• Taj Gibson^[32]
• Tim Hardaway Jr.^[21]
• James Harden
• Montrezl Harrell^[33]
• Jason Hart
• Solomon Hill^[34]
• Kyrie Irving^[35]
• LeBron James
• Brandon Jennings
• Pooh Jeter
• Stanley Johnson^[25]
• Wesley Johnson^[24]
• Kyle Kuzma^[36]
• Ty Lawson^[26]
• Matt Leinart^[37]
• Raymond Lewis^[38]
• Tyronn Lue^[26]
• Kenyon Martin Jr.^[39]
• JaVale McGee
• De'Anthony Melton^[21]
• Andre Miller^[40]
• Cuttino Mobley^[41]
• Evan Mobley^[42]
• Shareef O'Neal^[43]
• Onyeka Okongwu^[42]
• Chris Paul^[44]
• Paul Pierce
• Kevin Porter Jr.^[45]
• Taurean Prince^[36]
• Gabe Pruitt^[29]
• Julius Randle
• Nate Robinson^[46]
• Terrence Ross
• Metta Sandiford-Artest
• Byron Scott
• Franklin Session^[47]
• Iman Shumpert^[48]
• Pascal Siakam^[49]
• Craig Smith^[26]
• J. R. Smith
• Joe Smith^[15]
• Dane Suttle
• Isaiah Thomas^[50]
• Klay Thompson^[25]
• P. J. Tucker^[51]
• Denzel Valentine^[52]
• John Wall
• Casper Ware Jr.
• Casper Ware Sr.
• Earl Watson^[26]
• Derrick Williams^[24]
• John "Hot Plate" Williams
• Lou Williams^[49]
• Marcus Williams^[53]
• Delon Wright^[21]
• Dorell Wright^[21]
• Nick Young
• Trae Young

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. News: How LeBron, Kobe and Durant played a role in changing Drew League. Bushnell, Henry. June 13, 2016. Yahoo Sports. March 23, 2020.
2. Web site: Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League. drewleague.com. 2014. 8.
3. News: Drew League: Everything You Need to Know About the Star-Studded Summer League. Dorsey, Jesse. Bleacher Report. March 23, 2020.
4. Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League, 2014, page 4.
5. News: Randle Represents In Drew League Clash of NBA Talent. Ramirez, Joey. August 7, 2017. NBA.com. March 23, 2020.
6. News: The Drew League: By The Numbers. August 21, 2016. Burns, Mark. Forbes. March 23, 2020.
7. News: The Drew League Continues To Be South L.A.'S Summer Basketball Showcase. Jones, Tony K.. July 16, 2015. wavenewspapers.com. March 23, 2020.
8. News: Randle Named Drew League Player of the Week. Ramirez, Joey. July 25, 2017. NBA.com. March 23, 2020.
9. News: NBA players stay sharp in Drew League. Medina, Mark. August 11, 2011. Los Angeles Times. March 23, 2020.
10. News: Drew League celebrates 40th anniversary: From humble beginnings to showcase for NBA stars and celebrities. Medina, Mark. July 27, 2013. Daily Breeze. March 23, 2020.
11. News: NBA Live 18 Revealed by EA, Including New Mode and Demo Release Date. Nathan, Alec. Bleacher Report. March 23, 2020.
12. News: DREW LEAGUE TEAMS 101: WHO TO WATCH. Williams, Aaron. drewleague.com. March 23, 2020. August 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200812095855/http://www.drewleague.com/blog/2019/05/31/drew-league-teams-101-who-to-watch/. dead.
13. Web site: Announcement from the Drew League. 2020-05-13. Drew League. 2020-05-13.
14. Web site: Drew League: Everything You Need to Know About the Star-Studded Summer League. Dorsey. Jesse. bleacherreport.com. July 16, 2013. July 28, 2022.
15. Web site: NBA players stay sharp in Drew League. Los Angeles Times. Medina. Mark. August 11, 2011. July 28, 2022.
16. Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League, 2014, pages 11–16.
17. Web site: Former Toro Van Girard Making Name for Himself in Drew League. gotoros.com. July 22, 2016. July 18, 2022.
18. News: Introducing Basketball Legends of California's Famous 'Drew League'. Babb, Stephen. Bleacher Report. March 23, 2020.
19. Web site: Drew League 2019 Results: LaMelo Ball Drops 28, Highlights No Shnacks' Win. Zucker. Joseph. . July 27, 2019. July 17, 2022.
20. Web site: WATCH: LiAngelo Ball drops 27 points and 12 assists in Drew League. USA TODAY. Mulford. Michael. June 13, 2022. July 30, 2022.
21. Web site: LeBron James returned to the Drew League with DeMar DeRozan. Here's what happened. theathletic.com. Murray. Law. July 18, 2022. July 18, 2022.
22. Web site: Big Baby takes down DeMar DeRozan, Jordan Clarkson, and Nick Young at Drew League. Brueck-Cassoli. Greg. August 12, 2018. July 17, 2022.
23. Web site: Trae Young, John Collins show out at 2022 Drew League. nba.com. July 24, 2022. July 24, 2022.
24. Web site: Drew League celebrates 40th anniversary: From humble beginnings to showcase for NBA stars and celebrities. dailynews.com. Medina. Mark. August 28, 2017. July 28, 2022.
25. Web site: With Drew League Popularity Soaring, Even NBA Stars Must Follow Protocol to Join. Martin. Bleacher Report. Josh. July 3, 2016. July 17, 2022.
26. Web site: With Drew League Popularity Soaring, Even NBA Stars Must Follow Protocol to Join. Bleacher Report. Martin. Josh. July 3, 2016. July 18, 2022.
27. Web site: AUSTIN DAYE DROPS 52 POINTS AT DREW LEAGUE TO WIN BET. Fox Sports. July 7, 2015. July 17, 2022.
28. Web site: Rockets' Tari Eason named Drew League Player of the Week. USA TODAY. Taylor. Cody. July 28, 2022. October 31, 2022.
29. Web site: Drew League draws top talent. espn.com. Moura. Pedro. July 18, 2011. July 28, 2022.
30. Web site: The Raptors' non-Scottie Barnes prospect that will breakout this season. ClutchPoints. Samillano. Gerard. July 30, 2022. July 30, 2022.
31. News: Rapper The Game punches his own teammate in Drew League fight. Joseph, Andrew. August 5, 2018. USA Today. March 23, 2020.
32. Web site: Kobe Bryant impressed by Frank Robinson at Drew League championship (VIDEO). Schroeder. Scott. NBC Sports. August 21, 2013. July 17, 2022.
33. News: Trae Young, Montrezl Harrell face off and dominate in Drew League. July 20, 2019. He, Eric. Yahoo Sports. March 23, 2020.
34. Web site: Stanley Johnson Scores 31, Andre Drummond Makes His Drew League Debut. ballislife.com. Astramkas. David. July 19, 2015. July 28, 2022.
35. Web site: Mavs star Kyrie Irving reacts to his epic triple-double in Drew League debut. ClutchPoints. Guinhawa. Angelo. July 22, 2023. July 23, 2023.
36. Web site: Drew League Competition Draws Diverse Talent. Scurlock. Amanda. lasentinel.net. July 19, 2018. July 17, 2022.
37. Web site: Matt Leinart Attends and Plays in Drew League Basketball Game. Bleacher Report. Brooke. Tyler. June 16, 2014. July 18, 2022.
38. Web site: Introducing Basketball Legends of California's Famous 'Drew League'. Bleacher Report. Babb. Stephen. July 30, 2013. July 18, 2022.
39. Web site: 2020 NBA Draft Profiles: Kenyon Martin Jr.. SB Nation. Hayes. Bryce. October 13, 2020. July 19, 2022.
40. Web site: L.A.'s Drew League heats up. Moura. Pedro. espn.com. July 25, 2011. July 18, 2022.
41. Web site: Gray-Haired Cuttino Mobley Shows He Still Has Game at Drew League. Bleacher Report. Newport. Kyle. July 23, 2015. July 18, 2022.
42. Web site: The Drew League leaves Nike for partnership with Adidas. andscape.com. DePaula. Nick. May 31, 2022. July 30, 2022.
43. Web site: WATCH: Shareef O'Neal showed up at the Drew League and tried to dunk everything. USA TODAY. Smith. Cam. June 17, 2019. July 18, 2022.
44. News: Chris Paul provides memorable Drew League appearance. Los Angeles Daily News. July 31, 2017. Medina, Mark. March 23, 2020.
45. Web site: Hoopers Hoopla: History shows that Kevin Porter Jr. is built for this Rockets-sized opportunity. SB Nation. Lucas Jr.. Raymond. September 21, 2021. July 18, 2022.
46. Web site: The Drew League: 'No Excuse, Just Produce'. Bembry. Jerry. andscape.com. August 1, 2018. July 18, 2022.
47. Web site: Franklin Session: The Unlikeliest Path to the NBLC. Cole. Shelton. NBLCanada.ca. National Basketball League of Canada. March 13, 2018. December 7, 2018.
48. Web site: Video: Iman Shumpert Balling Out at Los Angeles Drew League Game. Sherman. Jonathan. Cavaliers Nation. August 2, 2017. September 7, 2023.
49. Web site: Looking back on 12 notable Drew League performances from NBA stars. nba.com. Martin. Brian. July 27, 2022. July 28, 2022.
50. Web site: WATCH: Former Celtics floor general Isaiah Thomas drops 37 points in the Drew League. USA TODAY. Quinn. Justin. July 26, 2021. July 18, 2022.
51. Web site: James Harden and P.J. Tucker take the Drew League. USA TODAY. Iko. Kelly. July 29, 2018. July 18, 2022.
52. Web site: DREW LEAGUE LEGEND FRANK NITTY DENZEL VALENTINE TRIED TO BIG BANK ME ... So, I Had To Bust His Ass. tmz.com. August 5, 2018. July 18, 2022.
53. Web site: WATCH: LaMelo Ball scores 28 points in Drew League playoff win. USA TODAY. Rude. Jacob. August 10, 2019. July 19, 2022.