The Drew League is a

pro–am Pro–am (or pro/am, pro am, ProAm; a contraction of professional–amateur) refers to a sporting event where both professional career athletes and amateurs compete. It could also refer to a collaboration between professionals and amateu ...

basketball league held every summer in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Established in 1973, the league has grown in popularity over the years, with

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

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 and initially counted 6 teams. The league rose in popularity over the 1980s, with an expanding number of teams (10 in 1985, 14 in 1988)''Drew League. 40 Years of Summer League'', 2014, page 4. and several high-profile high school, college, and professional players participating in the games. 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 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...

, the Drew League organizers decided to keep the league open, offering support to the

South Central Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

community. The league has occasionally attracted NBA players looking for a place to compete during the summer. During the

2011 NBA lockout The 2011 NBA lockout was the fourth and most recent lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Team owners began the work stoppage upon expiration of the 2005 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The 161-day 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 China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and

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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. In 2013,

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

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 ''NBA Live 18'' is a basketball simulation video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports, featuring James Harden of the Houston Rockets as its cover athlete. It was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 15, 2017. ...

''. Since its foundation, more than 20,000 players have participated in the league. As of 2019, 24 teams compete in the Drew League, with the highest number of participating teams being 28 in the previous seasons. The 2020 season was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Commissioners

*1973–1984: Alvin Willis *1985–present: Oris "Dino" Smiley

Venues

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

Notable players

Greg Anthony Gregory Carlton Anthony (born November 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also co ...

Trevor Ariza Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A small forward, Ariza played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins ...

Marvin Bagley III Marvin Bagley III (born March 14, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke Blue Devi ...

Michael Beasley Michael Paul Beasley Jr. (born January 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one ...

Steve Blake Steven Hanson Blake (born February 26, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. After winning the 2002 NCAA Championship with Maryland, Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the ...

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown Sr. (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer. Alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, he is recognized as a pioneer of new jack swing: a fusion of hip-hop and Contemporary R&B, R ...

LaMelo Ball LaMelo LaFrance Ball ( ; born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA draf ...

LiAngelo Ball LiAngelo Robert Ball (born November 24, 1998), also known by his stage names G3 and GELO, is an American professional basketball player and rapper who last played for the Astros de Jalisco. Ball played for Chino Hills High School in California ...

Jordan Bell Jordan Trennie Bell (born January 7, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. As a junior in 2017, Bell earned second-tea ...

Shannon Brown Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball for Michigan State ...

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

Jordan Clarkson Jordan Taylor Clarkson (born June 7, 1992) is an American and Filipino professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for two seasons with Tulsa before transferring to ...

* John Collins *

Darren Collison Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned All-Pa ...

Lester Conner Lester Allen Conner (born September 17, 1959) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player, who played for numerous NBA teams. On the floor at the collegiate level the 6'4" Conner was a "swingman," playi ...

Michael Cooper Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956), nicknamed "Coop", is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning five NBA champ ...

DeMarcus Cousins DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, ...

Baron Davis Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who is a studio analyst for the ''NBA on TNT''. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Third Team in 2004, and twice led the NBA in st ...

* Glen Davis *

Austin Daye Austin Darren Daye (born June 5, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for New Taipei Kings of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). He played college basketball for Gonzaga before being drafted 15th overall by the Det ...

DeMar DeRozan DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by th ...

Andre Drummond Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NB ...

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...

Tari Eason Tari Jordan Eason ( ; born May 10, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats and the LSU Tigers. Eason was ...

Tyreke Evans Tyreke Jamir Evans (born September 19, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Broncos de Caracas of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). After playing college basketball for the Memphis Tigers men's ...

David Fizdale David Sean Fizdale (born June 16, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously was an associate general manager for the Utah Jazz, an ...

Malachi Flynn Malachi Flynn (born May 9, 1998) () is an American professional basketball player for Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars and the San Dieg ...

* The Game *

Rudy Gay Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...

Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the ...

* Jonathan Gibson *

Taj Gibson Taj Jami Gibson (born June 24, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans men's basketball, USC Trojans and was sele ...

* Tim Hardaway Jr. *

James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is regarded by some as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA hist ...

Montrezl Harrell Montrezl Dashay Harrell ( ; born January 26, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Gigantes de Carolina of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He is also contracted with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball ...

* Jason Hart * Solomon Hill *

Kyrie Irving Kyrie Andrew Irving ( ; , ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cav ...

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

Brandon Jennings Brandon Byron Jennings (born September 23, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for being the first American high school prospect to bypass c ...

Pooh Jeter Eugene "Pooh" Jeter III (; born December 2, 1983) is an American-born naturalized Ukrainian professional basketball coach, executive and former player, currently serving as a player development coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National ...

* Stanley Johnson * Wesley Johnson *

Kyle Kuzma Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was named first-team all-conference ...

Ty Lawson Tywon Ronell Lawson (born November 3, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels where he won the 2009 national championship his junior year. ...

Matt Leinart Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Tro ...

* Raymond Lewis *

Tyronn Lue Tyronn Jamar Lue ( ; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as the head coach of the Clev ...

* Kenyon Martin Jr. *

JaVale McGee JaVale Lindy McGee ( ; born January 19, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Nevada Wolf Pack and was selected 18th over ...

De'Anthony Melton De'Anthony Melton (born May 28, 1998), nicknamed "Mr. Do Something", is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojan ...

Andre Miller Andre Lloyd Miller (born March 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and the current head coach for the Grand Rapids Gold. Miller has played professional basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Phi ...

Cuttino Mobley Cuttino Rashawn Mobley (born September 1, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1998 to 2008. He played college basketball for the Rhode Island Rams, earning conference ...

Evan Mobley Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Clevel ...

* Shareef O'Neal *

Onyeka Okongwu Onyeka Okongwu ( ; born December 11, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans. Okongwu was a four-year starter at C ...

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...

Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. As of September 2024, he is a contributo ...

* Kevin Porter Jr. *

Taurean Prince Taurean Waller-Prince ( ; born March 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz ...

Gabe Pruitt Gabriel Michael Pruitt (born April 19, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning an NBA championship with the team in 2008. He a ...

Julius Randle Julius Deion Randle (born November 29, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Team, he was a ...

Nate Robinson Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson (born May 31, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Seattle, Robinson played college basketball for the University of Washington in Seattle and was the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA draft. ...

Terrence Ross Terrence James Elijah Ross (born February 5, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. A shooting guard/small forward, he played college basketball for the Washington Huskies men's basketball, Washington Huskies, where he was a ...

Metta Sandiford-Artest Metta Sandiford-Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr., November 13, 1979), previously legally named Metta World Peace, is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Un ...

Byron Scott Byron Antom Scott (born March 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a role player, Scott won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during the ...

* Franklin Session *

Iman Shumpert Iman Asante Shumpert ( ; born June 26, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Shum ...

Pascal Siakam Pascal Siakam ( ; born 2 April 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team, All-NBA selection, he won an NBA champ ...

* Craig Smith * J. R. Smith * Joe Smith *

Dane Suttle Dane Lee Suttle (born August 9, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association's Kansas City Kings. A 6'3 guard, Suttle was a star at Pepperdine University. Collegiate career Suttle at ...

* Isaiah Thomas *

Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where Thompson ...

P. J. Tucker Anthony Leon "P.J." Tucker Jr. (born May 5, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as a reliable perimeter defender all throughout his career, Tucker wo ...

Denzel Valentine Denzel Robert Valentine (born November 16, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. As a senior, Valentin ...

John Wall Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A Raleigh, North Carolina, native, Wall was chosen with ...

* Casper Ware Jr. *Casper Ware Sr. *

Earl Watson Earl Joseph Watson Jr. (born June 12, 1979) is an American professional basketball coach and former player, who serves as an assistant coach for the San Diego Toreros. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he was a four-year ...

* Derrick Williams * John "Hot Plate" Williams *

Lou Williams Louis Tyrone Williams (born October 27, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted directly out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 45th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He is a 3-time NBA Sixt ...

* Marcus Williams *

Delon Wright Delon Reginald Wright (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the CC of San Francisco Rams and the Utah Utes, bein ...

Dorell Wright Dorell Lawrence Wright (born December 2, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Wright was drafted in the 2004 NBA draft by the Miami Heat directly out of high school. He has also played for the Golden State Warriors, Philad ...

Nick Young Nicholas Aaron Young (born June 1, 1985), nicknamed "Swaggy P", is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-10 The ...

Trae Young Rayford Trae Young (born September 19, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, where in his one season in 201 ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
1973 establishments in California Basketball in Los Angeles Basketball leagues in the United States Semi-professional sports leagues Willowbrook, California Sports leagues established in 1973