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Drew League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

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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

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

Venues

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Notable players

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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

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  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.[permanent dead link]
  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. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Announcement from the Drew League". Drew League. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  14. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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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