Kenyon Martin Jr. laying up the basketball.
Kenyon Martin Jr. laying up the ball in a 2019 Drew League game.

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,[3] 14 in 1988)[4] and several high-profile high school,[5] college,[3] and professional players participating in the games.[6][7] In 1987, Casper Ware Sr. scored 47 points in the Drew League championship game.[6] In 1990 Easy Ed Reed established the all-time high for points scored in a single game with 64.[6] 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.[7][4]

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.[3] The attendance rose to 800 per game.[9] Over the years, players from various countries such as China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain participated in the Drew League.[6] 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.[6] In 2016, the average attendance was 1,100.[6] 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.[6] As of 2019, 24 teams compete in the Drew League,[12] with the highest number of participating teams being 28 in the previous seasons.[3][7]

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

Commissioners

  • 1973–1984: Alvin Willis[14]
  • 1985–present: Oris "Dino" Smiley[4]

Venues

Notable players

James Harden and Brandon Jennings, two of the NBA players who participated in the Drew League, during a 2011 game against a Goodman League team.

References

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