Drew League

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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 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]

During the 2011 NBA lockout, the Drew League saw an increase in popularity due to a higher number of NBA players participating,[3] looking for a place to compete during the summer.[8][9] 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[]

  • 1973–1982: Alvin Willis
  • 1983–present: Oris "Dino" Smiley[4]

Venues[]

Notable players[]

James Harden and Brandon Jennings, two of the NBA players who participate 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dorsey, Jesse. "Drew League: Everything You Need to Know About the Star-Studded Summer League". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League, 2014, page 4.
  5. ^ a b Ramirez, Joey (August 7, 2017). "Randle Represents In Drew League Clash of NBA Talent". NBA.com. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Burns, Mark (August 21, 2016). "The Drew League: By The Numbers". Forbes. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b c d Ramirez, Joey (July 25, 2017). "Randle Named Drew League Player of the Week". NBA.com. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  14. ^ Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League, 2014, pages 11–16.
  15. ^ a b c d Babb, Stephen. "Introducing Basketball Legends of California's Famous 'Drew League'". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Joseph, Andrew (August 5, 2018). "Rapper The Game punches his own teammate in Drew League fight". USA Today. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  17. ^ a b He, Eric (July 20, 2019). "Trae Young, Montrezl Harrell face off and dominate in Drew League". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  18. ^ Medina, Mark (July 31, 2017). "Chris Paul provides memorable Drew League appearance". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  19. ^ Shelton, Cole (March 13, 2018). "Franklin Session: The Unlikeliest Path to the NBLC". NBLCanada.ca. National Basketball League of Canada. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

External links[]

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